June 2013, the family and I had just gotten home from a wonderful cruise vacation (which I spent extra on to ensure I could smoke with freedom), and my 2 year old son asked me a question that I had been asked countless times before. “Daddy, why do you smoke?” he asked while I watched over him through the window screen so I could get my fix instead of being near him. My pre-programmed responses started dancing on my tongue, “It helps me relax, I need it to stay alert, everything gives you cancer, we are all going to die someday, it’s my only vice so it’s ok”. It had always been so easy to counter an argument with one of these lies, but this time it was my son, the one person in the world I was going to be a role model for whether I liked it or not. Decision was made right there.
I grew up around smoking but I don’t use that as an excuse for ever starting. Both of my parents had quit before I started high school, and I was a huge tobacco-free advocate in the house. They made sure I knew of the health hazards that came from smoking. I did not hang around smokers in high school and would probably be considered a goodie-two-shoe to most people. I was a clean kid. I joined the Air Force following graduation and was finally on my own and free in the world (my Drill Instructors may differ on the free part). I started hanging around the “smoke-pit” because that’s where the socializing was happening and more importantly, it’s where the women seemed to be hanging out. It started with a Swisher Sweet here and a clove there. I still remember buying my first pack and asking myself “What are you doing?”
As the years went on my addiction really morphed into a one-sided, symbiotic relationship. It reached the point where every activity in my life needed a cigarette to accomplish or a cigarette to finish, often both. I got myself upto a pack a day quickly but, luckily, I never really went beyond that. I was also very addicted to the nicotine itself and would freak out internally if I went beyond a couple hours without a puff or even thought I would have to go a couple hours. It didn’t matter, you could be a doctor, dentist, lover, boss, or God himself, you were not going to pry my cigarette from my hands. I was fine. I could run an above average pace and walk up steps without gasping. I never let it interfere with my work and I was an extremely polite smoker. Never inside or around non-smokers and I was actually an advocate for tougher public smoking laws and higher taxes on tobacco. Smoking was not a problem for me. I was one big lie!
Aug 2013, I left for a 1 year tour in South Korea that my family was not able to accompany me on. I was ready to quit for good but I needed a good plan. “How about right when I get to Korea, well no that will be stressful. Ok, Jan 1 sounds good, yea but everyone fails at New Year’s resolutions. How about before my 1 month leave in May, you’re going to be bored and you know you like smoking when you are bored.” Finally, after these internal arguments, I decided that when I returned home from 1 month of leave with the family I would quit. I see know how dumb I was to hold off so long, but on the up side it gave me 8 months to prepare myself for the quit day, 16 Apr 2014.
There is an 18 hour travel time from home to Korea. It was torture as a smoker but that first drag after landing ranked up there with the best-ever. I wasn’t going to waste the opportunity to go through almost the entire first day while being forced not to smoke. I smoked 2 cigarettes after checking-in and ceremonially snapped my last one in half, NEVER AGAIN. I had stocked up on the gum and started popping it 3 hours into the flight. The couple minutes after landing were some of the strangest of my life. I felt completely out of place being one of those people who didn’t rush strait to the smoking area. I was jonesing hard but I pushed through.
The first 2 days were hard but I got through them with 2mg gum. Sleep was difficult and I had no clue what to do with my time now. I was also preparing for a Physical Fitness Test for work so eating my way through was not an option. A downfall of my plan meant I had to diet and quit at the same time. Days 3 and 4 were absolute torture, panic and withdrawal, hunger and clouded mind. I begin jogging to get through the cravings and coffee, so much coffee. Day 5 I went out for a morning run, jonesing out of my freaking mind. I ran by a half smoked Korean cigarette lying on the ground. I stopped and reached, disgust rushed through my entire body. I was seriously about to do this.
I immediately went and got a disposable nJoy and BLU at the store. I had tried an ecig back in 2009 but not to quit, just so I could smoke inside. I never really caught on. I was desperate now and the disposables worked. I no longer needed someone else’s trashed cigarette. I did the calculations and I would have been spending $7 daily on disposables, more than a pack, nope, I needed another option. I went to the only B&M option available and overspent by almost 3 times on an iTaste starter kit, 20mL Menthol 0 nic, and some nicotine (Korea doesn’t allow flavored nic). The price, I didn’t nor do I care now. I have already made up the money I would have spent on cigarettes anyways.
I am now on day 31. I can taste better and, unfortunately, now know that this country reeks. In 31 days I have dropped my run time by over 10% and am about to rock my PT Test with a 98% or better. I have maintained my diet and have actually lost 8 lbs and dropped to 14% body fat. My nose is not perpetually clogged and my tooth whitening toothpaste really does work. I have gained 2 hours 20 minutes back and am still trying to find creative ways to fill it, like writing long quit stories. I am more proficient at work, not just becauseo f the extra time, but my mind feels sharper, like it switched to an HD channel.
I do not want this to just become another addiction so I have an aggressive cut down plan. I do not buy flavors that sound good to me or could see myself really liking. Menthol seems to do the trick but I don’t really “like” the flavor. I am down to 2.1 mg nic levels and go through 1.8 mL juice aday. I will not allow myself to vape during work times. I also stopped the gum immediately. At this rate I will be nic free in 8 more weeks and will then look at cutting vaping entirely.
6 more weeks and I will be back with my proud family. I can’t wait to not have to brush my teeth and chew gum before becoming intimate with my non-smoking wife. From here we are moving to Hawaii and I will be able to get rid of a lot of the “Routines” urges. But more importantly, when my son asks me why I smoked I will be able to tell him, “Because I was a lying, manipulating, idiot”!
I grew up around smoking but I don’t use that as an excuse for ever starting. Both of my parents had quit before I started high school, and I was a huge tobacco-free advocate in the house. They made sure I knew of the health hazards that came from smoking. I did not hang around smokers in high school and would probably be considered a goodie-two-shoe to most people. I was a clean kid. I joined the Air Force following graduation and was finally on my own and free in the world (my Drill Instructors may differ on the free part). I started hanging around the “smoke-pit” because that’s where the socializing was happening and more importantly, it’s where the women seemed to be hanging out. It started with a Swisher Sweet here and a clove there. I still remember buying my first pack and asking myself “What are you doing?”
As the years went on my addiction really morphed into a one-sided, symbiotic relationship. It reached the point where every activity in my life needed a cigarette to accomplish or a cigarette to finish, often both. I got myself upto a pack a day quickly but, luckily, I never really went beyond that. I was also very addicted to the nicotine itself and would freak out internally if I went beyond a couple hours without a puff or even thought I would have to go a couple hours. It didn’t matter, you could be a doctor, dentist, lover, boss, or God himself, you were not going to pry my cigarette from my hands. I was fine. I could run an above average pace and walk up steps without gasping. I never let it interfere with my work and I was an extremely polite smoker. Never inside or around non-smokers and I was actually an advocate for tougher public smoking laws and higher taxes on tobacco. Smoking was not a problem for me. I was one big lie!
Aug 2013, I left for a 1 year tour in South Korea that my family was not able to accompany me on. I was ready to quit for good but I needed a good plan. “How about right when I get to Korea, well no that will be stressful. Ok, Jan 1 sounds good, yea but everyone fails at New Year’s resolutions. How about before my 1 month leave in May, you’re going to be bored and you know you like smoking when you are bored.” Finally, after these internal arguments, I decided that when I returned home from 1 month of leave with the family I would quit. I see know how dumb I was to hold off so long, but on the up side it gave me 8 months to prepare myself for the quit day, 16 Apr 2014.
There is an 18 hour travel time from home to Korea. It was torture as a smoker but that first drag after landing ranked up there with the best-ever. I wasn’t going to waste the opportunity to go through almost the entire first day while being forced not to smoke. I smoked 2 cigarettes after checking-in and ceremonially snapped my last one in half, NEVER AGAIN. I had stocked up on the gum and started popping it 3 hours into the flight. The couple minutes after landing were some of the strangest of my life. I felt completely out of place being one of those people who didn’t rush strait to the smoking area. I was jonesing hard but I pushed through.
The first 2 days were hard but I got through them with 2mg gum. Sleep was difficult and I had no clue what to do with my time now. I was also preparing for a Physical Fitness Test for work so eating my way through was not an option. A downfall of my plan meant I had to diet and quit at the same time. Days 3 and 4 were absolute torture, panic and withdrawal, hunger and clouded mind. I begin jogging to get through the cravings and coffee, so much coffee. Day 5 I went out for a morning run, jonesing out of my freaking mind. I ran by a half smoked Korean cigarette lying on the ground. I stopped and reached, disgust rushed through my entire body. I was seriously about to do this.
I immediately went and got a disposable nJoy and BLU at the store. I had tried an ecig back in 2009 but not to quit, just so I could smoke inside. I never really caught on. I was desperate now and the disposables worked. I no longer needed someone else’s trashed cigarette. I did the calculations and I would have been spending $7 daily on disposables, more than a pack, nope, I needed another option. I went to the only B&M option available and overspent by almost 3 times on an iTaste starter kit, 20mL Menthol 0 nic, and some nicotine (Korea doesn’t allow flavored nic). The price, I didn’t nor do I care now. I have already made up the money I would have spent on cigarettes anyways.
I am now on day 31. I can taste better and, unfortunately, now know that this country reeks. In 31 days I have dropped my run time by over 10% and am about to rock my PT Test with a 98% or better. I have maintained my diet and have actually lost 8 lbs and dropped to 14% body fat. My nose is not perpetually clogged and my tooth whitening toothpaste really does work. I have gained 2 hours 20 minutes back and am still trying to find creative ways to fill it, like writing long quit stories. I am more proficient at work, not just becauseo f the extra time, but my mind feels sharper, like it switched to an HD channel.
I do not want this to just become another addiction so I have an aggressive cut down plan. I do not buy flavors that sound good to me or could see myself really liking. Menthol seems to do the trick but I don’t really “like” the flavor. I am down to 2.1 mg nic levels and go through 1.8 mL juice aday. I will not allow myself to vape during work times. I also stopped the gum immediately. At this rate I will be nic free in 8 more weeks and will then look at cutting vaping entirely.
6 more weeks and I will be back with my proud family. I can’t wait to not have to brush my teeth and chew gum before becoming intimate with my non-smoking wife. From here we are moving to Hawaii and I will be able to get rid of a lot of the “Routines” urges. But more importantly, when my son asks me why I smoked I will be able to tell him, “Because I was a lying, manipulating, idiot”!
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