Passionate about health, wellbeing, and a dedicated traveler, Florence’s journey took a profound turn during her exploration of Southeast Asia and the Pacific in 2020. The onset of the global COVID-19 crisis and witnessing firsthand the devastating bushfires in Australia led her to a powerful realization – climate change was not a hoax, and she needed to take action.
Feeling a sense of powerlessness, Florence found her solution in going vegan. It wasn’t just a lifestyle choice; for her, it became a tangible way to contribute to the planet’s well-being. Participating in Veganuary in 2021 marked a transformative moment, and Florence has since embraced a plant-based lifestyle with unwavering commitment. Her story is one of resilience, self-improvement, and a genuine dedication to making a positive impact on the world.
A true animal lover, Florence’s journey reflects the intersection of personal growth and global awareness. Her choice to go vegan stands as a testament to the potential for individual actions to create meaningful change in the face of pressing global.
Tell us more about yourself, please
I feel more in tune with my personal beliefs and values… And now that I have my eyes open on what’s happening behind closed doors in the food industry, it’s hard to ignore the cruelty
Florence
Hi my name is Florence and I was born and raised in France. My dad is French and my mum is Japanese, so I guess I’m a mix of very different cultures!
In 2012 I moved to London and in 2023 I moved again… In the other direction this time, to Valencia in sunny Spain. I guess I will always feel like a foreigner wherever I go, which I consider being a strength: my home is not defined by the country I come from but where I choose to live.
I’m very curious by nature so I’m not afraid of trying new things, especially when it comes to food. Overall health & wellbeing is very important to me and I feel passionate about it – This includes mental health, fitness and nutrition, amongst other things.
I’m also an animal lover, I think our main mission as humans on this planet is to protect animals, not to use them however we see fit. I have 2 cats that I consider my kids and my secret dream is to travel the world with them (although it’s unlikely to happen).
Back in 2020 when the pandemic hit us all, I was coming back from Southeast Asia and the Pacific where I was travelling for 6 months. The first reality check was to see bushfires killing wild animals in Australia and the smoke in the air lingering for weeks afterwards… I realised some countries experienced global warming a lot faster than others and that we shouldn’t ignore it.
So when covid19 happened shortly after, it felt like a big reality check and the confirmation that we are not doing enough to protect the flora and fauna.
Back in London during lockdown, I started to watch documentaries to educate myself about what I could do. I decided to go vegan in 2021. It was initially for the planet, then I started to feel better myself so decided to fully embrace my new lifestyle.
Over time, it also became important to me not to contribute anymore to animal suffering. Now, I feel sorry it took me so long to open my eyes.
People who know me well would have never guessed I would ever turn vegan!
Florence
Before this eye-opening experience, my diet was full of meat and dairy, not many vegetables (if at all).
The truth is, society makes it easy to enjoy food only for taste and pleasure: why would you feel guilty if everyone else is doing it, right? But when you finally decide to stop ignoring what’s happening behind closed doors, you can’t choose to ignore it again.
There’s no way back. I know it’s not an easy decision for most people but trust me, if I can do it, anyone can… So during lockdown I decided to create a blog: biggirlbigcity2020.wordpress.com, to write about my transition from a very omnivorous diet to a fully vegan diet. I lost a lot of weight too, due to a much healthier lifestyle with less processed food and more homemade recipes.
I also shared stories about my travels (in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bali, Australia and New Zealand), as they’re very much at the origins of all this. I wouldn’t do anything that would compromise the beauty of our planet if I could avoid it. I want to keep travelling and see more wonderful things in the future.
It’s fair to say it’s not always easy to find vegan food when going out, especially on holiday or in a foreign country.
It requires a lot more planning and we can’t always be spontaneous. It also means being vegan is a way to pay attention to what we eat, which omnivores don’t have to worry about so much.
I use community platforms like HappyCow to search for vegan-friendly places in my area and read other people’s reviews. It’s a great way to connect with like-minded people too and it’s global so very useful when you’re travelling.
I created my own profile there to add my contributions: flocitygirl. It avoids situations where you have no choice but to order a side (usually salad or fries) because nothing else is suitable on the menu… It’s not that much easier when shopping in supermarkets. Reading labels of everything I buy could seem very restrictive but I see it as a way to make conscious decisions for myself, rather than buying or eating what’s the most appealing.
Adopting a fully vegan and gluten-free diet becomes the most challenging when eating out, although I’m sure it will become easier over time
Florence
I usually don’t like labels, because they lead to preconceived ideas and misconceptions. Only my diet is 100% plant-based, as I know it would be impossible to completely remove all animal-derived products in my day-to-day life.
Veganism is not about perfection though, it’s about doing what we think is right for the planet, our health and the animals, it’s about adding a meaning to our choices. We tend to put vegans and vegetarians in the same basket but I don’t think we should.
The dairy industry is the one I feel is the cruelest and the one I would never want to compromise on, not to mention it’s absurd to drink another mammal’s milk that is designed as a growth hormone for their babies. Dairy milk should be for baby cows, not adult humans – Most people are lactose intolerant for a reason. If you’re going vegetarian because you don’t want to hurt animals, I would say the answer is veganism, not vegetarianism. But as a starting point, of course it’s better than eating meat every day (like I used to do before).
“Venga!” also means “Come on!” in Spanish. So why don’t you come on this journey with me?
Florence
There is nothing I would like more than recommending good places to enjoy vegan food! That is why I started a blog to list all places I ate as a vegan since I adopted this lifestyle back in 2021.
For now, I have only experienced vegan food in England, Singapore, France and Spain, but I’m planning to add a lot more countries to the list. You can find my reviews either on my blog or on my HappyCow profile (I marked my favourite ones on there too).
Among my favourite vegan foods: pizzas (bonus points with a gluten-free dough), burgers, stir-fry recipes, and cuisines that tend to be vegan-friendly by default (Indian, Nepalese, Mexican…).
Oh and as I’ve just moved to Valencia, I appreciate a good “paella de verduras” too, suitable for vegans as it doesn’t contain any meat or dairy.
Most restaurants offer this option, it’s as popular as the version containing either chicken or seafood.
Going vegan was a way for me to self-improve
Florence
Where you can find all places I ate vegan food (and enjoyed it!), sorted by country: vengafood.wordpress.com
Lockdown blog, health & wellbeing tips as well as environmental topics: https://biggirlbigcity2020.wordpress.com/
My instagram account where I share a bit more about my life in Valencia as a vegan: https://www.instagram.com/flocitygirl/
My profile on HappyCow where you can map out my reviews of vegetarian/vegan or vegan-friendly places: https://www.happycow.net/members/profile/flocitygirl
Flo
📍 Paris 🇫🇷 > London 🇬🇧 > Valencia 🇪🇸
#plantpowered 🌱💪🏼 #foodblogger 👩🏻💻 #catmum 🐈🐈⬛
all images courtesy of Flo