Hey Slackers!!! I'm quitting cigarettes and holy crap is it hard!

So, after #smoking for 18 years, literally half of my existence on this big old blue marble, I am making the conscious effort to #quitsmoking those damn cancer sticks. It's about time that I start to be mindful about my #health and stick to it this time around.

I technically started #smoking when I was 16 years old, and like many folks out there, it was introduced to me by being around friends who were #smoking at that time. Crazy thing was that in the 1990s, it wasn't hard to ask someone who was old enough to buy a pack for you. I remember the first time that I #smoked a whole #cigarette and getting that light headed and speedy feeling, like it was a "high". I also remember one time in those early days of running to my friend's bathroom and #vomiting up a nasty, yellowish flem once as well.

But I was actually able to stop #smoking between the ages of 16 to 18, as I was playing #IceHockey for my High School ( #GoWolverines! ), and was never #tempted, nor #craved them during my time training and working out, even being around teammates who would fire one up after practice.

However, once I turned 18, was old enough to buy them on my own, and I was #performing in #rockbands at the time, I picked the #habit up, rather faithfully unfortunately.

There were times where I was able to quit, but for no more than a week and half to two weeks at most. I can remember both occasions from two extended #hospital stays, and I don't think the medical staff would appreciate anyone firing up in the bathrooms or in their beds in a hospital...

But I got to #quit. It's time. It's too #expensive, and I'm not getting any younger.

I am happy to report that as of this er...blogging... I went cold turkey and haven't had a drag in 3 weeks now. The #cravings are still there, both #physically and #mentally, especially after I have a nice hot cup of #tea. The #caffeine in my #blacktea offers a bit of a #trigger as a #cigarette and a travel mug of tea was my morning routine.

I haven't had any of the #coughing fits, which has come as a bit of a surprise to my friends who have also #quit, nor has there been any of that nasty #tar needing to be cleared out after waking up in the morning. I'm even surprised by it because I became a #heavysmoker in the past few years, smoking up to a pack and a half a day.

On a #positive side though, #food tastes A LOT better, and I am start to regain a more, how can we say, defined sense of #smell back since I'm not crushing my #sinuses with hot smoke and burnt #chemicals in a frequent manner like I was. Plus, let's also be real, not spending upwards of $10 per pack is DEFINITELY a #noticeable improvement in the immediate short term #financially.

So my fellow #Steemers and #Slackers, I'm putting the #work in to make this a reality. To no longer be chained down to an addiction, and as my one friend called it, "Being #PhilipMorris' bitch". I'm going to try and blog about this, and share my #journey with you all. If you got some suggestions to help, I am definitely all ears. And maybe, we'll be #help some other folks out here along the way as well!

Thanks for reading, and talk to you soon!
-Pj