While not exactly a boating or camping or travel post I can say that this is a very important day. Actually the very important day was June 9, 2017 and I completely forgot. So today is day 1006 but 6/9/2017 was day 1000. 1000 days since I smoked my last cigarette. I had quit using the patch. I’ve used the gum. I’ve even used Chantix and even quit for an entire year on a bet even though the bettor did not pay up. I tried vaping too. But this is by far the longest I’ve gone without a cigarette and frankly I don’t even miss them. There was something different with this time and I don’t know what it was. I quit cold turkey. I just decided one day – September 13, 2014 to be exact – to stop and I did. I’m not sure what clicked but whatever it was I definitely felt different about it. All of those previous times I craved a cigarette. Now even if I hang around friends that smoke the smell only reminds me of past memories that occurred while I was smoking. They were good memories but I didn’t crave for one anymore.
I started off smoking when I was 16 at a Catholic Boarding School. It was a camel unfiltered. I went from smoking one or two to getting as high as a pack and a half a day in college when I could afford it. I went through the various quitting stages. I quit buying them. Then I just became the guy bumming smokes from people. Then I quit for a while and completely segregated myself from all of my friends that smoked. That was a lonely time. I guess one of the reasons I quit this time was I noticed some changes. Not only the health changes (chronic coughing) but also social changes. When your co-workers smoke its a reason to go hang out away from the office and enjoy a little sunshine and fresh air. OK well sunshine. But more and more I found myself outside by myself and it went from being a social activity to an anti-social activity.
To this day I can still smell the difference between a Marlboro and a Camel. At this point though my gamer mentality is kind of kicking in. I don’t want to have to start over after hitting this high score. So here’s to another 1000 days. Or 1006 days to be exact.