Welcome!
Thank you for taking the time to read a little bit about me. I'm passionate about living a vegan lifestyle and am so excited to share this journey with you! I have dedicated myself to asking important questions, researching facts about vegan living, and having fun in the kitchen. My teaching heart wants to share everything I've learned along the way. My hope and mission for this blog is to pass along tips for living an easy vegan lifestyle, especially when others around you are not.
What You'll Find Here...
- fuss-free delicious vegan recipes that your family will love
- recipes with inexpensive ingredients that can be found at your favorite stores
- vegan lifestyle tips to use when shopping and eating out at restaurants
- ways to modify classic recipes to make them vegan
- product and restaurant reviews
- camping and travel tips for plant-based living
- vegan guides for popular destinations
- ideas to promote eco-friendly living and minimalism
- encouragement when others around you aren't vegan
Why Vegan And Why Blog About It?
I believe this is such a great time to choose vegan. My primary reason is for the animals. I love animals so much and feel they are not sharing this beautiful earth with us for our use. Bonuses to vegan living include added health benefits and lightening our impact on the environment. However, these are my personal reasons and I have no judgment toward others.
When I first made the transition to being a vegan, I honestly did it immediately. I happened upon a documentary surrounding the meat and dairy industry, and my heart was instantly filled with sorrow. From that moment, I excluded all animal products from my diet and lifestyle.
I initially had so many questions and learned so many things along the way that I am bursting to share. I want to pass along delicious recipes, ingredient substitutions for recipes, how to order at restaurants, how to identify cruelty-free brands, and many other tips that can make things easier for all of my vegan friends.
Fun Facts About Me
- My hometowns are El Paso and Austin, TX.
- I was born in Germany and my name was inspired by the Autobahn.
- My five siblings and I come from the most humble beginnings as we learned a strong work ethic from our hard-working, single mother.
- Some of my family is from Mexico, so you might see some Spanish influence within my recipes, such as these Chiles Rellenos or this comforting Fideo.
- I love traveling with my family, cuddling with my dogs, jogging, yoga, reading, cooking, and organizing.
- We have had the opportunity to live in different places because my husband is in the military. So far, we have called the following places "home."
- Austin, Texas
- Fort Jackson, South Carolina
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Fort Bragg, North Carolina
- Fort Bliss, Texas
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Salt Lake City, Utah (current)
A Little More About Me...
I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Applied Learning and Development. For the next ten years after that, I loved working with children as an elementary school teacher. A few years into our marriage, my husband, Rich, and I started a little family by having my son, Caleb, and daughter, Aubrey.
Toward the end of my teaching career, I decided to get an MBA and transitioned into the world of publishing. It was very hard for me to leave the classroom, but my husband's job in the military has led to frequent moves for our family. My new role gave me the opportunity to work from home. For quite a while, I longed to share my vegan journey with others by blogging. However, my job was very demanding and I had very little free time.
That All Changed In 2020.
Not only did the worldwide pandemic of the Covid-19 virus affect us, as I'm sure many of you, but our family was also dealt a heavy blow of a different kind.
My husband and I found out we were expecting a surprise baby girl! (failed IUD) We were totally shocked but so excited. We decided to name our miracle baby, Emily Hope. She was to be the most loved and spoiled baby girl with two (much) older siblings. We couldn't wait to meet her.
Sadly, at 23 weeks, I went into preterm labor because the IUD punctured my placenta and my darling angel baby left this earth.
Losing her has been the hardest thing I've ever gone through. Every day is tough, and I'm so sad for the many, many other families who have lost their babies too soon. If you too are a loss mom or dad, I am so sorry. I send you all my love and a virtual hug. I am here if you would ever like to talk to someone about this unimaginable pain.
All that being said, this devastation led me to do some serious soul-searching. My reflections on life brought me to the realization that the time is now for me to follow my heart. I thank my darling Emily for guiding my way, and my sweet family for all of their support. I especially thank my brother, Brian, who has encouraged me for years to step out of my comfort zone and start a blog.
If you too have a dream that you've been putting off, please know that the time is now for you to follow your heart.
Update!
I am so pleased to announce the arrival of our precious little guy, Rowan Everett! He joined our family in December of 2021. We are so in love with our rainbow baby.
You can reach me at serenetrailvegan@gmail.com.