I'm Julia, a 21-year-old blogger and media student originally from Brazil (though a lot of people think I'm American due to my accent, and the many years I spent living there), most likely to be found at a coffee shop, with a camera around her neck, looking for a crumpled energy ball inside her bag. I'm always traveling around, and I'm incredibly passionate about music, veganism, mental-health awareness and all things universe related. So, if you follow me on social media, expect a bunch of airport check ins, music recommendations, deep chats and LOADS of vegan food (vurgers included!).

We are incredibly lucky, as you have supported us from the very beginning, since we had the very first pop up! Do you see supporting small start-ups as important as working with larger companies in your opinion?

Absolutely! If not more. I mean, I do think it’s important to get involved with larger companies - especially when trying to get a certain message (such as Veganism, sustainability, etc) spread - however, to me at least, being able to work with and support small start-ups helps me connect with like-minded beings a lot better. You know exactly who you are working with and there’s a much bigger sense of community, which is so, so important! Besides, small/local businesses are in its great majority far more sustainable than big brands, and I think it’s about time we all start giving a little more thought into it as we make our day to day choices. Your Instagram account gives your followers a beautiful account of your life, you have an incredibly authentic tone, you recently wrote about how a reader's letter touched you to the core, did you ever foresee how important your words could be to your readers?

With all honesty, I really didn’t. I’ve always been careful when talking about topics such as mental health, etc, but it wasn’t till I started getting proper feedback on it and emails from people opening up to me that I realised how powerful the content I put out there was. You know, when you write a piece, as personal as it can be, and even though you do it with the intention of having someone on the other side read it, it’s just you, your thoughts and your words in the moment. It’s hard to put it into perspective beforehand or even predict the type of response you’ll get. All you can ever do is be as honest and careful as possible, always.

You follow a vegan lifestyle, is this a decision you made for personal health reasons or has it become an all-encompassing journey?

That’s a hard one! I wouldn’t be able to pinpoint the exact reason why I made the transition a little over two years ago. What I can tell you is: I guess veganism just gradually grew on me. When I was 16 I was introduced to the world of yoga and I had the most amazing instructor who started teaching me her always into a healthier, more conscious lifestyle. My habits

started changing from there but it wasn’t till I turned 18 that veganism somehow stepped into my life. I had just started university and as a uni student all I wanted was to save time and money, but I also didn’t want to give up my healthy ways; so I started searching for healthy food blogs, accounts, all that jazz... And that was when veganism popped up. I didn’t make the switch over night but I was definitely intrigued. It took me about a year - full of research, studying, discoveries, more conscious choices here and there, new restaurants and dishes - until I finally decided to change. And at that point I guess it was just a mixture of it all: compassion, health, sustainability, the community even... everything! It was the only way to go from there. If you’re cooking at home, what’s your go to dinner and please would you be able to share that recipe with our readers?

I’ll have to be honest here, most days I just steam some veggies that I’ll have with a salad, some grains and legumes that I throw together in a bowl, and either a side of sweet potato, rice or pasta - all in the company of some avo or hummus. If I get home late, it’s even worse! Breakfast for dinner it is, I’ll probably just end up having porridge and a cup of tea (which is delicious, so I guess that’s okay). However, if I’m feeling fancy or I had the time to meal prep on the weekend, I always like to have some dhal or curry waiting for me on the fridge - my favourite is my Japanese pumpkin curry. For that you’ll need: What are you working on next? What would you love to do in 2018?

Oh, 2018 should be an exciting one! At the moment, the blog (www.lesgypsytales.com) is going through some changes (new topics will be added and a slightly different approach will be noticeable), and I'm currently working on a few side projects (including new YouTube content and some photography work – a passion of mine that I left on the side for a while) as well, which I'd love to take to the next level in 2018. Please would you be able to share with our readers, what is your daily morning routine, do you have any favourite cruelty free brands / make up brands you use?

Absolutely! Although it’s very simple.

1) In the mornings, the first thing I like to do is my bed. It might be odd, but if my bed isn’t all tidy, I feel like my entire day will be just as much of a mess. I then proceed to getting some water in (350ml at least!) and a full body stretch (5-15 minutes will do and YouTube videos are great for that if you still haven’t got the hang of it!), and go onto the basics: brushing my teeth, getting a nice shower... all the necessary stuff.

2) Next is getting dressed, putting some makeup on (currently loving the brands Pacifica and BAIMS - both natural and vegan) and making my breakfast. Most days I go for either porridge topped with some sort of nut butter (cashew and pb2 are my favourites) and looooads of cinnamon, or avo on toast - and if I’m feeling undecided, I’ll have a bit of both - always with a side of fruit and a good cup of coffee (black, strong, no sugar! It’s bad, but I’m a massive coffee addicted).

3) As I eat my breakfast I like to check on my socials and watch something on my computer. If it’s a uni day, I’ll just head to class right after, and if not, I’ll go onto responding emails, do a bit of reading, and just get work done in general. And oh! All of this in company of some good music (usually indie or folk, but it does vary at times) - if I don’t listen to music first thing in the morning, I’ll be moody all day long, trust me.

Who inspires you and why?

Honestly, so many people. From family and friends, to people I’ve crossed paths with only a couple times, or even ‘personalities’ I look up to... Different beings inspire me for so many different reasons. From their approach to life, to the things they achieve, to the way they dress and books they read... I feel like we always tend to admire other people for the things we find within ourselves, things that connect us on a deeper level, but may not be out there yet. And having these people around us can lead to realising the things we’d like to work on, they help us become better versions of ourselves.

If you could change one thing about the world as it stands, what would it be and why?

I wish people would put themselves on each other's shoes more often. It’s really easy to make a tough judgment when you don’t know where the other person is coming from. If we could do that, compassion would come our way a lot easier. And I’m a true believer that compassion is one of the key components to a better, fairer world.

As an inspiration to us, please tell us all, do you have a mantra that you work and live by?

‘’Everything happens for a reason’’. It might sound like the most cliché saying of all times - and one could even argue that is just an excuse for the things that didn’t go as planned - but it’s something that has really applied to my life (specially within the last 3 years) and I don’t believe in coincidences.

You are where you’re meant to be right now, and the people that cross your path - even if just for a second - don’t just do it for no reason. Every little action leads to something bigger. We’re all connected, we’re all energy, and we’re all very much in synch. There might be things in your life that don’t make much sense now, that don’t seem to connect, or that take a completely different root from what you’ve expected, but it will all become clear at some point, and it’s pure magic when you connect the dots.

Julia, we have loved getting to know you even more, your honest answers show your true nature and we are honoured to have been a tiny part of your journey. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support and being there for us for a whole year! We will be by your side for your vegan burger needs forever ;)
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