Vegan. Discuss.

A surefire way to stimulate conversation? Go vegan.

I can't tell you the number of conversations I have had about the way I am eating lately. Invariably it begins with a quizzical inventory of what I don't eat. Which naturally leads to a curiosity to how long I've been holding this up. And then a discussion of what I do eat and what I am missing.

Really, I don't mind this conversation. People are curious, I enjoy chatting about food. It is a way to share knowledge.

What is really interesting are the stories that come out. This past weekend, with guests over for dinner, we talked about veganism and how it affects travel, but, more interestingly, we talked about different approaches to food, family stories, personal histories. Food is universal and we all have some sort of relationship to it, as fuel, as family time, as personal journey. It truly is fascinating.