I started smoking as a teenager after curiosity and my inner rebel got the best of me. It started as just a few and quickly turned into a daily activity. Fourteen years later I couldn’t kick the habit. I loved smoking but hated the side effects. I hated the smell in my clothes and in my hair. I hated the constant cough. I hated being around my kids with a cigarette. I hated knowing that I was doing damage to my health and potential my familyƒ??s health. I had tried to quit at least once a year and even quit through both of my pregnancies but I always returned to smoking because I loved the activity of it. In February of this year (2013) a girlfriend asked me to try to quit with her by using an ecig. I thought it was ridiculous and would never work but I told her I would make the attempt. My initial kit was an ego style battery with a standard clearomizer and a couple bottles of juice, which had cost me around $50 dollars. I told myself that I would use the ecig until the amount I had spent would equal the amount I would have spent on real cigarettes, so about two weeks. I struggled with the transition the first couple of days but mostly because I was being stubborn. It was hardest at work, when I went on breaks with fellow smokers and I found myself jealous. After about a week I started noticing some differences in the way I felt. I was sleeping better, the constant urge to cough was going away and I smelt better. My family was happier too, my husband didn’t complain about my smoking any longer and the kids didn’t avoid me because of the way ƒ??mommy smeltƒ?. I was also feeling more positive about my decision to quit. I started to really appreciate the ecig and it clicked that it would be stupid for me not to use this alternative. I knew that this was a safer alternative and I was happy that I still got the activity of smoking without the nasty side effects from smoking. It was at that point that I decided I would never be going back to real cigarettes. It has now been almost 6 months and I couldn’t be happier with my choice in using an ecig to help me quit. It had started as just a way to get away from cigarettes but it has no become a hobby with an incredible community behind it. I no longer use that ego battery with the standard clearomizer but I will always hold on to that. I now use a variety of mechanical mods and a couple variable voltage mods. This new hobby has created the excitement and motivation to not only stay away from cigarettes but also help others who are still smoking.