I have smoked off and on (mostly on) since I was 15. Since I am somewhat of a fitness enthusiast (running, yoga, crossfit, cross country skiing, etc.) I have been a closet smoker since I graduated from college. That’s about 30 years of closet smoking and only my closest friends and family new my dirty secret! Smoking just didn’t fit with the rest of my lifestyle so I hid it from nearly everyone! I have tried to give up cigarettes using the cold turkey method and using nicotine patches, gum, and lozenges all to no avail. I would last for a few weeks and then be back smoking again. The addiction to smoking is very strong and sometimes will power and nicotine replacement aren’t enough! I first tried electronic cigarettes about two years ago. I saw one at a smoke shop and purchased it (a long with my pack of cigarettes!) just to try it out. It was a fun novelty but did not seem to satisfy the urge for the real thing. About six months later I purchased a Green Smoke kit online and ordered the highest level of nicotine (24 mg) with the intention of using that to give up smoking (I was not familiar with the term vaping at the time. The Green Smoke kit was a little better than the e-cig I had previously tried from the smoke shop but even with 24 mg of nicotine it still wasn’t enough! Towards the end of 2012, one of my family members saw my Green Smoke e-cig and told me that she had a good friend who knew all about e-cigs and was a vaper. My first introduction to the term! She told me to talk to her friend because she thought there were much better e-cigs available that might help me quit. After a few email exchanges and phone calls with the vaping guru I purchased a kit with a stronger batter (ego 510) and a cartomizer tank delivery system. I also ordered some e-juices from various online vendors. When I got the kit and set it all up I was amazed at the amount of vapor and the satisfaction of the experience! It didn’t taste at all like a cigarette- and yet it was a decent substitute. Without any effort whatsoever I went from about 17 cigarettes a day to 5. That’s when I realized I could probably actually quit. I set a date and ordered some more e-juices (trying all the flavors was really fun for me). I also joined the e-cigarette forum so I could read about the experiences of other vapers who had successfully made the transition from smoking to vaping. For many, it is very easy. They just turn away from cigarettes and turn to e-cigarettes and never look back. It was a little harder than that for me. The first week I vaped non-stop and frequently went to the forum for support. The next week was easier and by the third week I realized I would never go back to smoking. Vaping was just a lot better. Gone were the nasty ashtrays and cigarette butts. No longer did I need to go outside (I work from home) every few hours to smoke. When I went out with friends I no longer had to ‘sanitize’ (brush teeth, purell, spray a little perfume) to hid the smoke smell. The freedom was wonderful! And even better I didn’t miss cigarettes and smoking at all since I loved to vape. So far it has only been 117 days but that’s longer than I have ever made it before! I have a little app on my iPhone with the stats- 2011 cigarettes avoided, $1135 saved. Already I can breathe better. My morning smoker’s cough is completely gone. Vaping has improved my life and will likely extend it.