I Can See the Light November 17, 2010

Great Migrations

It’s Day 10 of me not smoking. Big whoop, right?

People don’t think of me as being a heavy smoker. I almost never smoked in the morning, at work even and sometimes went through the evening without a cigarette. I smoke socially, I would say. And think. The truth is, however, that I smoked a lot. I would smoke when I drank. I smoked when other friends smoked around me. I smoked in the car when boyfriend lit up. I smoke when I wanted a break from a stressful situation or even to pass the time when I was bored waiting for something.  If you take away all the tiny triggers, the big one for me is “going out.”  A cigarette and a drink, man.

Getting through a few days without a cigarette is something I have done before, but getting through nights out with friends without smoking is a small success for me. And I have done it THREE times already in the course of my ten day cessation.

One other tiny success that I will mention is that on Day 3, I had a required speech to present in my public speaking class. If there was ever a time I would want a smoke, it’s then. But I made it through. And I got an A. Hooray!

[The impetus for me to quit was silly, really. I went to Fun Fun Fun Fest and got sick, as I always do, from the dusty park and all the smoking. That and I have been saying I want to for months.]

I don’t feel magical at all having quit. I am still hacking and coughing and wheezing. In fact my asthma has flared up. But I know that it’s better. And my breath is better. And my clothes smell better. And food smells and tastes better. So that’s something.

I hear it takes 28 days to really break a habit. Dec 5th is that day for me.

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