Yesterday marked the end of my initial blog project of 365 days and 365 vegan meals in Las Vegas.  I visited hundreds of local restaurants and told you about the wonderful plant-based options that were available.  I visited some restaurants that needed more coverage more than once, but I never wrote about the same meal twice.  There were a few people at the beginning who didn’t think it could be done….that there just wasn’t enough vegan-friendly options available here in Las Vegas.  Not only was that not true, but I in some ways I felt like I was only scratching the surface of things.  From fast food to casual to fine dining, there are still so many more restaurants that I plan to visit and write about.  There is also new restaurants opening and new items being added to existing menus on a regular basis that are vegan-friendly.  I still have so much wonderful work ahead and I look forward to it.

One of the great joys of this past year has been the incredible people that I have been able to meet and get to know.  People that I have met who started reading the blog on a daily basis, some from places on the other side of the world. For the nearly a thousand who are also a part of our Facebook community. I have gained so many new friendships near and afar and my life is richer because of it.  They have all been a great source of encouragement and inspiration to me.  There are so many people that I would like to recognize and thank for their help and encouragement in this past year.  I would like to let you know about some of them. I would like to thank my family and the lovely Theresa for their constant encouragement and for allowing me the time and resources to make this all I happen; Lindsay Metter and Blue Luna Marketing for great help with the social media end of things, inspiration and help in getting the blog started and all along the way; Chef Mayra and the whole staff at Pura Vida; Chef Carla Pellegrino and her staff at Bacio and Bratalian; Nina and her crew at Ping Pong Thai; the staff at Sunrise Coffee; Vincenzo Granata and April Summers at Panevino; Martin Lapid and Pixel Pushers for the wonderful logo; Christina Gregory and Jessica Shay from Power to the Veg for always making me smile; Kelly Bennett from VeganConsultant.com; Steve and Marsala Rypka for their insights, wisdom, and friendship; Sari Dennis and My Wellness Counts for regular inspiration; JennVegan Belladonna, Ciddy Fonteboa and all of the others out there doing it for the animals; and of course the hundreds and now thousands of those who have taken the time regularly to read the blog and my page and contribute their thoughts and love that others and I can benefit from them.

I wanted to also let you know where things are going to be going from here. Eating Vegan in Vegas will continue, though it will not be on a daily basis…perhaps more like 3-4 times a week in a very similar format.  I am going to continue to be doing what I have been doing.  I am also working on an e-book for Eating Vegan in Vegas that will be available in the near future and will be the most comprehensive guide found anywhere to plant-based eating here in Las Vegas.  I will keep you informed of the progress on that.  I am also going to be starting a website that will have my blog archives, all of my articles from The Las Vegas Informer, as well as other resources available to help encourage, educate, and outfit you for living plant-strong and making a difference for your health, the animals, and the environment.  I will also be starting an interview-based blog in the fall that I will telling more about in the months to come.  There are a few other things that I am not quite at liberty to talk about at the moment but are very exciting and will hopefully benefit the cause greatly.  

All to say…this is not really an end…but merely a beginning.  I have benefited from eating some truly extraordinary meals, but as amazing as they were, they are nothing in comparison to the value that I place on lives touched and the friendships made and deepened as a result.  For all of you who have crossed that bridge this past year to plant-based eating and the vegan lifestyle…know that you have already made a great difference in all of the important areas.  Be encouraged…just as you have encouraged me on a daily basis.  Peace, light, and love.