My Trip to Massachusetts

The previous week I went to Massachusetts. Yep, I went to Massachusetts. I wanted to what it had to offer, and if I could still be a vegan.

I did, and I could.

This is what happened.

Massachusetts is one of our oldest states. Growing from a land connected strongly with the harbor, Massachusetts seems to be evolving into a state that is a cross hybrid of two extremes. A relatively democratic state it seems to be a clusterfuck of extremely new aged liberal interests mixed in with 'Merica stereotypes.

My first meal was something I made myself however I think it demonstrates how being vegan is quite easy in the bay state. It was a vegan bagel sandwich. With a mixture of hummus, avocado, kale, and tomatoes I managed to enjoy my day with a healthy vegan meal. 

I had previously bought these items at the store quite easily. There wasn't any trouble buying organic, nor were any of the items scarce. What makes the states so unbelievably easy being a vegan is the powerful magnitude of American supermarkets. While you might not be able to get vegan only products (except in this case you can) you are easily able to devise a happy healthy meal. 

Cous cous salad with a side salad

Salad mixture from Whole Foods

Vegan shortbread with organic strawberries

While I did go to two restaurants, I found them both to be quite bland. I went to a thai restaurant in Plimouth and had the standard Pad Thai, and I went to a Indian Restaurant in Cambridge that was, in kinder words, mediocre. Both had labels that promoted their vegan knowledge about their meals, but both were not as good compared to my own cooking.

However traveling as a vegan in Massachusetts would be simple. If buying food at the supermarkets are impossible, going around to different restaurants would be easy. The new age thinking of vegan liberal thought seems to be quite possible here, and to step away from the American stereotype of obesity allows a lot natives to ask for the impossible, making it possible for you. 

While there seems to be a shift towards a more liberal thought, Massachusetts is also contains the stench of conservative 'Mericanism. 

I am proud to be an American. It is where I was born and it is my automated response of what my nationality is. (To those that didn't know, I am American and English. I have dual nationalities.) However my American nature was raised in a freakish environment compared to everyone else. I come from the land of misfits and rejects. My moral compass leans more on the side of liberalism, and overall I cringe seeing conservative aggression. 

Massachusetts, despite being new aged, still contains a strong conservative prejudice. In Massachusetts, people go "huntin'", people project their views on pro life wherever you go, and people saying "that's so gay" and the "N word" seems to be ok to them. 

But this state is friendly. Which is why this becomes a complex series of emotions for me. How do I judge a group of people who at one hand completely disgust me, and on the other, win over my heart? What seems to be the issue for MA is that you have to come here open, and you have to refresh yourself every day. Don't allow yourself to latch on the immoral aggression of the area, it is their thought, not yours. This is also the state that killed a bunch of people who they thought were witches. So it seems quite difficult to assume they are just like you.

Massachusetts is archaic and young. It shows you how this country came to be, but also where it is going. Coming to Massachusetts as a vegan is easy so don't worry. Just sit back and enjoy yourself, and experience the weirdness that is the bay state.