The WhoWhatWhenWhereWhyHow of Vegetarianism

This is how I answered the questions when I switched my diet.
Who will this affect?
It affects me & only me because I am in control of what I choose to eat. I don't have kids, but I am a nanny. The kids are pretty young & are always intrigued about my food choices & the vegetarian cuisine I share with them. My family didn't understand at first, but I was kind & firm about my choice & they're pretty supportive now. If they grill, Dad puts my veggie dogs in a foil pan, etc. They did think I was being extreme when I gave up meat. Now they're used to it & mostly leave their comments to themselves.
What/which food(s) can I absolutely NOT give up?
It used to be cheese & yogurt. Now I am allergic to dairy so I CAN'T have any kind of dairy derivatives at all. But I've learned that I cannot give up sushi - just so long as the fish is fresh & wild-caught NOT farm-raised.
When will I be a vegetarian? Am I willing to ask questions at parties, events, & restaurants?
I am a vegetarian all the time. If there is a doubt in my mind that the food will be questionable at a party or event, I bring something along just in case. If I check out the spread & I'm unsure, I just ask a couple of questions. If people start acting weird, I insist it's due to allergies. After all, no one would want to endanger my life. I've discovered that if I say I'm a vegetarian, people will assume it's ok for there to be meat IN something & I can just eat around it or pick it off. NO.WAY. At a restaurant, I will get something automatically made without meat. I don't even have to think about bothering the cooks with my request for a clean, separate grill. And best of all, I don't have to depend on fast food anymore. UGH! THE WORST!
Where am I committed to buying food? Certain restaurants & grocery stores are more vegetarian-friendly!
I buy at our local Kroger. We do have a health food store here, I think more than one, but Kroger has a good selection of fresh produce, organic selections, & dairy-free/gluten-free options. I like Trader Joe's but the closest one is in Columbus. It's too hard to get up there on a regular basis. It's also very reasonable as far as prices go. I've never been into a Whole Foods but I understand the prices are sky-high. And again, the closest one is in Columbus.
Why do I want to be a vegetarian? Health? Money? (It is cheaper!) Animal rights? All three?
All three for me, but mostly for animal rights. I thought about the purpose of a domestic/farm animals. The one thing that I kept coming back to? Puppies are food in Korea. So I thought about chickens, cows, & all of that here in the U.S.A. I can't really say much more than that. And depending on how you feel about animal rights will definitely sway how strict you'll be.
How strict will I want to be?
I want no animal by-products in my food, touching my food, or even stirred with the same utensil. For example, if there is a vegetable soup & a chicken soup, I want my soup stirred with a different spoon. I want a clean knife cutting my vegetables on a clean cutting board.

So all of that is pretty easy to answer & will help guide you toward your needs in vegetarian quest. I'd encourage you to look into your nutrient needs. You don't need meat for protein or iron. You don't need dairy for calcium. Eat a wide variety...and you'll find the more plant-based dishes you prepare, the more you can actually eat. The quality of your calories & nutrients you're getting will far outweigh a 3oz (recommended portion) piece of meat. I take a variety of vitamins & dietary supplements to compensate for loopholes in my diet.

Thanks for reading, everyone! Happy meat-free eating!