2016 has been quite the year for me. I moved out of my house, I lost my dog and, most importantly, I was able to reflect on the important things in life: like not taking our president-elect seriously.

It’s only apropos that I ended the year in one of my favorite countries: Spain, far far away from the chao-sity that is the U.S. of A. I love it, I hate it, I don’t understand it, but it is my home in the end. And by god, I needed a break from it! Two weeks in England just left me wanting more!

Galicia was my very first foray into Europe. The same time last year, I boarded the plane with high hopes and a nervous tummy, hoping the Galicians I met would know what a “vegan” was. I was met with a few paused contemplations, questions clarifying what constituted vegan, and generally a very accommodating culture that both surprised and delighted me.

This year was no different — actually, it was even better than the last year! I discovered a medley of new vegan products and an all-vegan shop called Factoria Verde, the waiters at every vegan restaurant I went to were still there, and still recognized me (I guess I’m like one out of 3 vegans in all of Coruña) and I ended up discovering even more vegan goodies in the supermarket.

Be sure to check back periodically for my Galician Food Tour posts as a respite to all the shitty Trumpian updates… it’s the least I can do for my country.