No, I am not just a 'vegan'

Labels. They're for clothes, not humans.

I don't reject the label 'vegan', because I love what it stands for. But similarly I don't like being defined as simply that. It creates an image of who I am without any other knowledge of me.

Being a vegan is difficult. I don't just mean it's hard finding vegan food at a restaurant or whatever, in fact that's pretty easy now I'm used to it. What's difficult is hearing people in your life tell you that they think veganism is stupid, or have them question you, often in a derogatory way, asking what you eat, asking if you miss bacon etc. I'm often the subject of jokes, all meant lightheartedly I think, but nonetheless, not something I want.

Vegans are often put into a generic category: hippies who like to moan at meat eaters. This is not true. I cook my omnivore friends bacon. I even touch it with my vegan fingers. I ate meat before, but I wont eat it again. That doesn't mean I think everyone should become a vegan.

I am a vegan because I want to be. It's best for my personal health, because I have extensively researched it and ensured that I am eating the right nutrients etc. I choose to be vegan because I love animals and I don't want to eat them. Now tell me why I deserve to be interrogated for my personal choices when they don't affect anyone else?

I get it. There are the silly vegans who moan about everything and live in a bubble. That's not the majority. There's good and bad everybody, some are more upfront and passionate. Some are also too preachy which I don't agree with. I am just a normal person (well, the normal bit is debatable) who eats a lot of great food and tries to not hurt people or animals. I don't ever preach or moan to others about their eating habits. So why are they doing it to me?

Please, next time you take the piss out of vegans, or ask a vegan where they get their protein, remember that vegans are just people who eat a vegan diet. Not another breed of human. If you don't want a 'vegan' to discuss your eating habits or ask you why you eat meat, then please mind your own business and don't ask me if I miss steak. (I don't, ftr).

London life = the best life

The air tastes sweeter in my favourite places. Summer tastes like the dewdrops on grass in my garden, but London still somehow tastes free. Despite the grey, the pollution, the swirls of graffiti like tattoos across the buildings, London sets me free.

Pangs of excitement surge through me as I weave through Waterloo station, sipping my soy cappuccino through a satisfied smile. I have been here before. I have walked through London many times. Stations, landmarks, tourist areas, all the way through the multi-coloured flags of Soho, past the golds and reds in Chinatown, bumping into tourists as I meander along the river. 

The familiar Starbucks on every corner, like a beacon of energy reminding me to prolong sleep as long as possible - London is awake, and I should be too. 

A weather proof city that looks as beautiful in autumnal sunsets as it does during the vicious December wind. Even the naked trees with their clawed branches greet me. 

I read 'if you're tired of London, you're tired of life'. 

Maybe the answer to being tired isn't always sleep. Instead of closing your eyes, try opening them a bit more, let them really see what's in front of you. I think that's the reason why I love London so much. You can't not see it. 

This multicoloured, multicultural, beautifully hideous city feels like home, because it will accommodate you, whoever you are. Maybe that's why we all love it so much. 

I got my final university grades back...

Just a quick post to highlight that I got my results back from university today... and I'm very pleased! We get our final classifications next week, but I'm pretty confident that I'm graduating with a high 2:1, which is fantastic.

I had some really tough times during the past three years, and became a very different person throughout. It's all been for the best though. I've come out stronger, wiser and most of all, happier. I battled depression for most of my academic life, and I'm pleased to say goodbye to both classrooms and academia respectively, as I progress into the big wide world. 

Ok, I can't wrap this all up without some kind of cheesy speech. So here goes - 

I am so proud of everyone who has got their results today, including all my classmates, the people I met along the way, and myself. I worked hard, and I got the grades I deserved. I had a wonderful experience at UEL, and am eternally grateful to everyone who was a part of this brilliant journey.