Welcome Bran!
I have been vegan almost six years and went vegan overnight, but to be fair I had an intolerance to dairy for years before hand so had already been avoiding it since 1999 with the exception of plain Greek yogurt, and in the beginning of my intolerance I would try lactose free milk but it still made me sick. I had never been much of a meat eater, and I had already loved to cook healthy alternative types of foods (I was introduced to beans, millet, buckwheat groats and so on long before I knew what vegan was), so the transition wasn't too hard for me. I went vegan for ethical reasons, but also environmental, so it was a great motivation to start fresh as a vegan and get rid of the chemical cleaners and toiletries in my house. Transitioning away from my leather, silk, wool, and other animal bags, clothes etc took a few more months.
Do you have more support with family this time around? How do you plan to work around this issue or do you live alone now? I live with a mostly vegetarian partner. We have been together over 18 years. He was not happy about my veganism at first. We had some arguments. I put my foot down and made it clear I would not buy or prepare animal products, but would happily make vegan meals. If he wanted to buy his own animal products he could, as we share our house. All along I have kept separate cupboard space for my own foods (that I gladly share), and we have separate areas in the refrigerator and freezer so his dairy does not come close to my stuff. My Blendtec blender is off limits to any animal food, and I have separate pots, pans, dishes etc. For the most part he finally gave up meat, though once a month or so he still eats fish, and when we travel to visit his parents two or three times a year they feed him meat. :/ He cut out eggs completely but can not seem to let go of his dairy, otherwise he eats largely plant food which is a huge deal because he was a big meat eater before I became vegan. I did try him on all kinds of plant milks but he doesn't seem to like them. At any rate, it has taken a long time and a lot of patience for him to come around, and now he admires my convictions and that I walk the walk no matter the situation. Though I eat largely whole plant foods, I do compromise some and buy and prepare some processed vegan foods because he seems to love those and it keeps him eating more vegan. It also challenges me away from too much restriction (I used to be severely underweight). I am the bread winner and quite independent. I think it would be harder living in a family where you have less control over stuff. But not impossible. Making clear boundaries and making your needs and wishes clear is very important when you live with others who do not share your way of life. You really have to stand up for yourself and what you believe in, and you need to believe in it strongly and faithfully. There will be social pressure, and people will want to argue, and learning how to deal with these types of situations will help greatly. It doesn't mean you have to win every argument. You can choose not to partake in baiting and insults, or in having to prove your lifestyle. It can go the other way too, and too much preachiness can drive others away or cause even more conflict. There is definitely a learning curve!
Best wishes on your transition!
