This is a guest post by my friend Cherish. She went to hear Rip Esselstyn speak and sent out the following letter to her friends. I asked her if I could use it for the blog because it made my day. Thankfully she said yes! I hope you get a smile out of reading it too. (I went to hear Rip the following evening, but more about that later!)

Rip Esselstyn

Greetings Plant Strong Fans…

Today was a typical pnw start to my day, drag myself out from under the warmth of my blankets kind of morning.  Then I remembered I was on the VIP list of veggie enthusiasts having breakfast with Rip Esselsyn!  Naturally, I was bouncing off the walls before half a cup of coffee hit my bloodstream.  The ride to Seattle was socked in with fog until I reached downtown where a glimmer of bright light shone through the fog above the 64^th Ave Whole Foods.  I am not kidding!!!  And as my Prius zoomed off the exit, dogs in tow, crystal blue skies awaited the venue featuring that hot hunk of kale lovin’ Rip!!!

He was funny, he was charming, (and yes I realize he is married), but best of all he was inspiring.  It brought me back to the place that my vegan lifestyle began: FOR MY HEALTH!  He served us Rip’s famous Big Bowl for breakfast – whole grains, full of fresh fruit swimming in almond milk with a little eye candy on the side, wink, wink.

I could hardly contain my enthusiasm when it was my turn to talk to him.  I stumbled all over myself announcing I was a Texas Tech Red Raider. Which is the rival to his alma mater, the University of Texas Longhorns.  He laughed and inquired about my vegan journey and encouraged me to stay away from vegan porn, which is Rip’s phrase for vegan junk food.  If there is anything in this world that can contain my addiction to fried potatoes it is a tall, sexy vegan firefighter from Texas!  And I think there is hope for that vegan cowboy Monica’s been dreaming about if Rip’s fame was borne of meat eating macho Texas firemen going vegan.  Who would have thought…

So now I’m floating around the office on a cloud of Rip and kale and dreams of Texas.  I know you guys wanted to know all that.

Smiles, Cherish