New career, family, side business, and life. Not the world's worst excuses from being absent from the community. But excuses nonetheless. But I'm back with a reignited passion for all things VAPE. After the last convert, which took me almost 2 years to get him to switch over, I am fired up to continue and to add my own personal flair to the community.
It all began about 5 years ago. Not even sure how it started. The internet for sure. I didn't buy my first vape from a gas station. I was looking for an alternative to smoking that worked. I tried the patch, got nightmares and still smoked. I tried hypnosis, that worked for about 2 days and I craved the whole time. Tried the gum, made me ill and I still wanted a cigarette. Nothing worked. Add that to the guilt that I felt being a full custody single dad, with a child who is a cancer survivor. I always smoked outside and not in the car, but it didn't make me feel better about it. Not to mention what I was doing to myself. I'm not sure, but I think it started with an internet ad. SS No.7 was my first device and some Coffee and Tobacco Carts. Still have the device in my vape graveyard as a reminder.
After my first vape, I researched. I found ECF and YouTube Review Videos, which were the greatest thing I have ever seen in consumer marketing and research. Real people who were unbiased reviewers, buy devices and juice, trying them out and posting about if they were any good or not. It's like reality TV for a product. Not fake or produced, but real. I watched all of Leaford's videos in a two day sitting. I got on to the forum's and tumblr pages. I couldn't get enough. I knew the reviews were real, because I tried the products reviewed and loved them.
Back to the vaping itself. It took two weeks before I was smoke free. I adopted the attitude that I love my Nicotine, just like I love my coffee. And now, I don't have to put myself at risk of inhaling hundreds of carcinogens to get it. Finally something that worked! And, after 5 years, completely worked. In the spirit of full disclosure, have I backslid to cigarettes at all during this time??? Yep, but not in the way you might think. In five years, I have bought 5 packs of cigarettes. Bummed off my boss at work, no more than a few at a time. So some; but I always wished I hadn't smoked them after I had one. And I have never stopped vaping. The boss, who I used to bum from, just switch to full vaping two months ago, and has not looked back.
During the past three years, I have been consumed by my new career. Over consumed. My point here is that I stopped watching vape videos, stopped visiting the forums and started sneaking the odd cigarette. So the support of the community wasn't present in my life anymore. I'm not saying you have to visit ECF every week to stay off cigarettes, but some need the support and need to feel involved in the community to stay consistent. I'm better to myself when I am purpose driven to help others. Again, not everyone is wired this way, but I am. So I am here to help. If I can get someone like my boss, who smoked for almost 30 years to embrace vaping and stick to it (after 2 years of trying to get him there and maybe making him feel guilty about feeding me cigarettes
), then I have a duty to all smokers and vapers to continue on.
For me, it's been a real working alternative. I am unifying my passion for political involvement with getting the truth out about vaping and how it has changed my life. I am passionate about new devices, especially as I look over my old frontier devices in my vaping graveyard. Some of those devices still work! My passion for good quality artisan juices, from vendors who are vapers who are looking to provide the public with great flavors tailored to every taste, has only grown. It is truly amazing to see, after a 3 year absence from the community to see the growth and change. To know that the Ego style batteries that I started buying 4 years ago have become such a standard. And to smile and think, yep I was right about those, because I have one with a passthrough that is still kicking out 3.4 volts after 4 years! To watch the videos on YouTube by Grimmgreen, Pbusardo, and RIP Trippers, that are both entertaining and informative. To attend my first VapeBash in ChicagoLand this year and see the newest and coolest innovations. And what is even cooler about that, IT'S FOR VAPER, BY VAPERS.
In my absence, I grew a little complacent. I vaped the same two juices that I bought from the same vendor on the same low ohm dual coil cartomizers on the same ego batteries. And they are good juices, good cartomizers, good batteries, and from a good vendor, but my focus has changed. Now after breaking habitually purchasing, I am now exposed to a world that has evolved on such a level, I would be depriving myself, current, and future vapers by not to jump back in feet first. I am truly inspired by both my own converts, and by all of you. So I want to give back. Watch over the next few month for video review links. I have a lot more competition now, so it'll need to be unique and original. I promise and commit to be entertaining, helpful, fun and most importantly unbiased and informative. And in throwing down the gauntlet, I am committed to deliver. Hold me to it!!!
I want to do this not just for my own passion, and need for support, but for all others like me. Many do not know, and are curious, or feel shackled and shamed by smoking. I've been there. Vaping saved me. It can save you, too. This maybe the one example where you can HAVE your cake, and VAPE it too!!!
PEACE OUT AND BREATHE IN!!!! Ahhh, that's some good juice.
It all began about 5 years ago. Not even sure how it started. The internet for sure. I didn't buy my first vape from a gas station. I was looking for an alternative to smoking that worked. I tried the patch, got nightmares and still smoked. I tried hypnosis, that worked for about 2 days and I craved the whole time. Tried the gum, made me ill and I still wanted a cigarette. Nothing worked. Add that to the guilt that I felt being a full custody single dad, with a child who is a cancer survivor. I always smoked outside and not in the car, but it didn't make me feel better about it. Not to mention what I was doing to myself. I'm not sure, but I think it started with an internet ad. SS No.7 was my first device and some Coffee and Tobacco Carts. Still have the device in my vape graveyard as a reminder.
After my first vape, I researched. I found ECF and YouTube Review Videos, which were the greatest thing I have ever seen in consumer marketing and research. Real people who were unbiased reviewers, buy devices and juice, trying them out and posting about if they were any good or not. It's like reality TV for a product. Not fake or produced, but real. I watched all of Leaford's videos in a two day sitting. I got on to the forum's and tumblr pages. I couldn't get enough. I knew the reviews were real, because I tried the products reviewed and loved them.
Back to the vaping itself. It took two weeks before I was smoke free. I adopted the attitude that I love my Nicotine, just like I love my coffee. And now, I don't have to put myself at risk of inhaling hundreds of carcinogens to get it. Finally something that worked! And, after 5 years, completely worked. In the spirit of full disclosure, have I backslid to cigarettes at all during this time??? Yep, but not in the way you might think. In five years, I have bought 5 packs of cigarettes. Bummed off my boss at work, no more than a few at a time. So some; but I always wished I hadn't smoked them after I had one. And I have never stopped vaping. The boss, who I used to bum from, just switch to full vaping two months ago, and has not looked back.
During the past three years, I have been consumed by my new career. Over consumed. My point here is that I stopped watching vape videos, stopped visiting the forums and started sneaking the odd cigarette. So the support of the community wasn't present in my life anymore. I'm not saying you have to visit ECF every week to stay off cigarettes, but some need the support and need to feel involved in the community to stay consistent. I'm better to myself when I am purpose driven to help others. Again, not everyone is wired this way, but I am. So I am here to help. If I can get someone like my boss, who smoked for almost 30 years to embrace vaping and stick to it (after 2 years of trying to get him there and maybe making him feel guilty about feeding me cigarettes
), then I have a duty to all smokers and vapers to continue on. For me, it's been a real working alternative. I am unifying my passion for political involvement with getting the truth out about vaping and how it has changed my life. I am passionate about new devices, especially as I look over my old frontier devices in my vaping graveyard. Some of those devices still work! My passion for good quality artisan juices, from vendors who are vapers who are looking to provide the public with great flavors tailored to every taste, has only grown. It is truly amazing to see, after a 3 year absence from the community to see the growth and change. To know that the Ego style batteries that I started buying 4 years ago have become such a standard. And to smile and think, yep I was right about those, because I have one with a passthrough that is still kicking out 3.4 volts after 4 years! To watch the videos on YouTube by Grimmgreen, Pbusardo, and RIP Trippers, that are both entertaining and informative. To attend my first VapeBash in ChicagoLand this year and see the newest and coolest innovations. And what is even cooler about that, IT'S FOR VAPER, BY VAPERS.
In my absence, I grew a little complacent. I vaped the same two juices that I bought from the same vendor on the same low ohm dual coil cartomizers on the same ego batteries. And they are good juices, good cartomizers, good batteries, and from a good vendor, but my focus has changed. Now after breaking habitually purchasing, I am now exposed to a world that has evolved on such a level, I would be depriving myself, current, and future vapers by not to jump back in feet first. I am truly inspired by both my own converts, and by all of you. So I want to give back. Watch over the next few month for video review links. I have a lot more competition now, so it'll need to be unique and original. I promise and commit to be entertaining, helpful, fun and most importantly unbiased and informative. And in throwing down the gauntlet, I am committed to deliver. Hold me to it!!!
I want to do this not just for my own passion, and need for support, but for all others like me. Many do not know, and are curious, or feel shackled and shamed by smoking. I've been there. Vaping saved me. It can save you, too. This maybe the one example where you can HAVE your cake, and VAPE it too!!!
PEACE OUT AND BREATHE IN!!!! Ahhh, that's some good juice.
