I've been doing multiple 30 day projects in the past: no e-mail until 1130 (am), no Facebook, stop having devices in the bedroom and having a smoothie for breakfast. Except for the no e-mail rule, I'm still doing all those things. Apparently, 30 days really is enough to form a new habit.

For some time, I have been considering turning vegetarian. There are so many benefits from not eating meat and replacing it with healthy food: lowered environmental impact, lowered intake of antibiotics found in meat, and so many others.

The last couple of years, we have been very selective on the amount of meat we were eating, but never taken the plunge and really try going fully without meat. Last week, I watched Earthlings and this movie articulates what I knew but didn't want to fully recognize: the production of the animals we like to eat is awful and they live and die in horrifying ways.

It is possible to purchase beef, chicken, pork and fish that is produced with respect for animals. Two thoughts, first: these products are very expensive. Secondly: what does respect for animals mean? They are killed in the end anyway.

This is why we are going to stop eating meat for the next 30 days. Not eating meat at home won't be very hard. When eating with other people (especially when we are visiting friends who invite us for dinner), it feels like an added burden for them when we mention that we would like to eat vegetarian. However, we strongly feel that we want to improve our lives and trying to become vegetarian is one of the things on our list. Taking steps in this direction can be hard, but we're very curious to find out what it will bring.