Sunday, January 20, 2008

The Vegan Diaries, Days 17, 18 and 19: Reno 911

Well, it was just as I feared.

Reno was a vegan death trap.

After spending these past three days spreading Obama's message to the people of Nevada, I had little time to eat. I was knocking on doors and making phone calls to people non-stop, and my stomach just kept growling louder and louder. Luckily, I had packed an emergency kit containing the following vegan staples: peanut butter, bagels, pita bread, apples, oranges, juice, and dried fruit. This saved my hide the entire time in Reno. Without it, I would have been a goner.

For example, on Thursday evening, my friend and I didn't make it back to our hotel in Reno until 9 pm, and the only place nearby that was open was Mel's Drive-In, which is known for its fine selection of tasty animal products that are gastronomically bad for you. So while my friend gleefully ate his juicy, mouth-watering cheeseburger, I ate a plate of fries, the only food inside that entire place that was safe for vegans.

I used to make fun of fry-chomping vegans and vegetarians. Now I was that very object of my own ridicule.

Ain't irony a bitch.

Friday night didn't go any smoother. After working a long day, the Obama staff wanted to treat us all to some pizzas. Then my friend had to blow my cover and blab to everyone how I was a vegan despite my constant threats for him to shut up, thus making the Obama staff really confused about what to do. So I finally just told them to not worry about me and get whatever they wanted. So while everyone was licking their fingers on Kentucky Fried Chicken, I was huddled in the corner eating an orange. However, the staff felt sorry for my situation and bought some corn on the cob for me. I was quite grateful.

This vegan thing isn't all it's cracked up to be when you have to travel. You're constantly having to carry around picnic supplies with you, and people think you're some big weirdo. Earlier in this blog, I mentioned how there are varying levels or degrees of vegetarianism/veganism. For me, I think I will ultimately become a "Home Vegetarian," where I'll try to be a vegetarian when I'm cooking for myself at home. But when it comes to traveling or eating out...I'm living it up, baby!

2 comments:

Jenn said...

how did i miss this post? you describe my personal hell... traveling for work is tough and finding food options can be a bitch.

ps: i live it up (in moderation) when i'm traveling.

Anonymous said...

too bad you didn't get a chance to check out the Pneumatic Diner, they serve all veg/vegan food. There's also a great Ethiopian place in Reno... But yeah, this place sucks if your not into meat/gambling/bingedrinking...........