Breaking up is hard to do.....or Is It?

Well as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. After 14 wonderful years, I have ended my love affair with smoking. I am proud to announce that today is my 28th consecutive day without a cigarette. To the layperson, that is 4 weeks!

Why did I do it you ask? I honestly don't know. When it comes down to it, I love smoking. I suppose the only good answer I can come up with is that I know it is bad for me. Aside from that I love everything about it.

How did I do it you ask? Easy. 4 weeks ago I checked my luggage in at LAX as I prepared for my trip to the Philippines. Once my luggage was on it's way to the underbelly of the plane, I stepped outside, smoked my final cigarette and proceeded to board the plane bound for the land of little people. It wasn't easy but a steady diet of rice and Asian Tang sure helped. I know I know.....you are all curious to hear what I mean by Asian Tang. By Asian Tang, I mean the orange Tang drink. While on vacation, one of the resorts I stayed at tried to pawn off the powdered Tang mix as freshly squeezed Florida orange juice. I knew when I tasted it that something was up, but it wasn't until the next morning that I noticed one of the servers behind the bar mixing powdered Tang mix with water in a pitcher named “OJ”. Busted! But anyways, I digress.

So what does all this mean? It means that I must now retrain my body to function without a Marlboro in my hands. There are many things that prior to 4 weeks ago I had never experienced sober (without a cigarette). I started smoking at 15 so activities such as driving, drinking, gambling and sex are all things that I now get to enjoy smoke free. On a side note, all of those activities are much better enjoyed with a cigarette, but I'm hopeful that in time that will all change.

In closing, I am sure the time will come when I will smoke another cigarette or perhaps even a pack or two (upcoming trip to Starkville), but having experienced this 4 week hiatus, I am confident that aside from those few instances here and there that I will be able to stay the course and continue my journey of being smoke free.