Member-only story
Dating Is hard.
It always has been. Building the confidence to go introduce yourself to the girl across the room, finding courage to slip the cute barista your phone number, even turning up to blind dates — it’s tough. Now, in this modern world of digital dating, normal social cues and personal interaction are taken out of the equation, making the chance for success even more elusive.
Throw a plant-based diet into the mix — a want for someone to share your ethical perspectives — and not only does it make first dates harder (and the choice of restaurants smaller!), it can also put extra strain on existing or blossoming relationships. Both of you have to show tolerance and compassion to be able to accept your dietary differences.
Karine Charbonneau knows this only too well. A vegan for almost two decades, she had found her love. They liked the same things, held the same beliefs, loved their dogs and even started a business together but, for all-too-familiar reasons, her marriage of 15 years crumbled.
Plunged back into the dating scene after many years, unversed in the Tinder movement and with her self-confidence in tatters, Karine struggled so hard to find a kindred spirit with whom she shared a passion for compassion.
