My story from beginning till now (TL-DR)

[bcartervol98]

Ok bored a work again but I thought I would chronicle where I started, mistakes I made, and where I am now hopefully to help at least one other person not go through some of the pains I did.

It all started for me during the University of Tennessee Spring Game weekend. Arian Foster, former UT player and current Houston Texan of the NFL came into town for the weekend. I had hosted a party for him and many other former and current NFL players that went to UT. Just like in any other event, I tried to think of who else were smokers so I could have company by the firepit and only thought of one friend that owns a local radio station. My wife and I were like, cool, at least there will be one. Well when everyone arrived and were drinking, playing cornhole, beer pong, all the things people do at a party...I decided I wanted a smoke and asked my friend if he wanted to have one with me. He said he had quit. WHATTTT? My wife and I are the only smokers? How can this be. He explained to me he had done it with E-cigs. Now he had bought an Njoy King and nursed it only treating his withdrawals when they got the worst they could get. After 2 Njoys he was done, and as of this day he has not touched anything else. Well I thought, I am not gonna do that. We went on and had a great party.

The next day, the day of the game, I went with my friends and former players to where they spoke to the team. My wife set up our tailgate and then we all came out there. Of course Arian and others got mobbed so we went into the stadium early to hang out on the field and see other people in the UT Football family. I realized I was about to have to go 4-5 hours without a smoke and panicked. What would I do? I was getting crap from a lot of my friends since they couldnt understand my angst about going 4-5 hours without a smoke. I was pretty drunk so I made it through and on my way home said......I may try this e-cig thing. The next day, I went and bought 2 NJoy kings and started my journey. I said I was done with cigarettes, and from that day I have not had another one. I did however quickly realize the NJoys were gonna get expensive! $6.99 each plus tax and going through 2 a day. I had no idea what was available, so we visited the Cigar Store in our local mall and bought 2 starter kits, one for the wife and I, of something called "Topaz". They were $89.99 each and had 2 of the little V2 style cigarette looking automatic batteries and cigarette filter looking cartomizers. WOW these were a step up from the NJoy but I realized how expensive it was gonna be. $24.99 for an extra battery, $8.99 per cartomizer, tiny crappy disposable clearos were $15.99 and 10ml of liquid was $20. Not good.

Being myself I started searching online and learned about the Ego style batteries. I somehow stumbled upon VapeDudes and bought my wife and I the $38.99 starter kit without very high hopes. After all, how could a $38 kit be better than an $89 kit? Once it arrived I was THRILLED (and pissed at the cigar shop in the mall) with the quality of the hit. I wasnt super fond of the first round of flavors, but Strawberry Fields was in there and we knew right away we liked that. Then we found Spearmint, that led to the Candy Cane. I found a great Tobacco flavor at Sweet-Vapes because, like every other noob, I felt like I HAD TO HAVE a good tobacco. About the same time, I found VaporTalk and then the education started. I learned about VV and found out I had to have that so I ordered some Vision Spinner 1300mah batteries. Then I moved from the CE4 disposables to the Kanger T2s really by accident, thinking they were the same thing. Then I wanted to try BCCs and the T3S was awesome and like most others, at this point, my switch to all glass is complete with Davides and KPT2.

I really dug into VaporTalk. What a great resource, people that have been there and done that....got the TShirt. I listened, didn't argue even when I felt I was right, and learned. I know now how to handle almost any situation. I have tried 63 liquids of which only 3 are flavors I like. I am a juice snob I guess. I have now switched to glass tanks mainly but still have plenty of my trusty T2s and T3Ss on standby.

Long story short (too late lol), there are some GREAT people on here that will give GREAT advice if you are willing to take it. Just like in anything else, people tend to go from knowing nothing to knowing everything in not a lot of time lol, so remember to keep an open mind. If I can do it, after 27 years of a pack and a half to 2 packs a day, then so can you. This was my first attempt to quit. I do not like to fail, its not an option. I wanted to make sure I was ready to quit when I did because failure was not an option.

Probably the most important thing I have learned in this time is this, and if you only pay attention to one thing, pay attention to this:

EVERYTHING WITH VAPING IS SUBJECTIVE!. Reviews are only a general guideline, and what I love you may hate and what you love may taste like hell to me. Same with batteries, mods, hardware, clearos, tanks, dripping, or any of the other things VaporTalk has opened my eyes to. I celebrate 4 months analog free as of today, and was bored at work, so decided to share my story in the hopes 4 months from now someone else might say that helped them reach a milestone of some sort. I feel such a debt of gratitude to those on here that helped me. You know who you are.

Edited August 21, 2013 by bcartervol98

[wizard46304]

I've learned alot on this forum just in the short time I've been a member. You actually made me comfortable that the gear I was using was up to par for what I'm trying to achieve. Everyone else on here is great as well. I really appreciate everybodys help on this forum. Even if we haven't corresponded on here I've probably read something you've posted and learned from you. Wish I would have found vapor talk sooner. Your all awesome, thanks!

[Bebop]

You got a T shirt!????

[wizard46304]

Yeah, I'd wear one if I had it.

[Tam]

Congrats on a BIG four month milestone, B. Glad you're here and have found a home at VT. May you have many more milestones to come!

[Aquatroy]

I want a tshirt..........

[bcartervol98]

I want a tshirt..........

[Bebop]

LoL!

[Uma]

Great story and thanks for sharing with us!!

I can so relate about being the only smoker when going anywhere, but there is always someone lighting up.. at the party it would have been you two. Now that I vape, I see more smokers than I ever did before when I needed them. Crazy how that works.

[spydre]

You got a T shirt!????

Yeah, I'd wear one if I had it.

I want a tshirt..........

Yeah, so do I, and I'd wear the heck out of it, I'd wear it everywhere, which would embarrass the heck out of my husband, but it's a proud thing for me. Hmmm, we have a custom T-shirt maker in town, maybe I could get them to make one up for me.

Great story and thanks for sharing with us!!

I can so relate about being the only smoker when going anywhere, but there is always someone lighting up.. at the party it would have been you two. Now that I vape, I see more smokers than I ever did before when I needed them. Crazy how that works.

I can as well. The last place I worked at, there were several of us that smoked, and until the Executive Director (a smoker) resigned and we got a new one (a managing attorney from the housing department), we had an indoor smoking area. (Funny story - well, it wasn't so funny to me at the time - I was on medical leave when he changed the policy, and said we had to smoke outside - specifically in the back, on the loading dock/by the dumpster/that area - I came back to work, it was a lovely 18 degrees, but I only brought a jacket, because I thought I only had to worry about the trip to and from the car. I froze my behind off that day.) But at least that last almost year, I got a tan and got plenty of Vitamin D during the summer, lol. But it was also aggravating, because, well, I'm not sure when, the managing attorney of the Elderly Department, well, the ONLY attorney in the Elder Law department, starting feeding a pregnant feral cat that was sheltering behind the building. Well, cats tend to breed, and over the years, 1 cat became four (the first litter), and by the time we the staff put our foot down, found someplace that would take the cats (most shelters won't take ferals because they are unadoptable, or they just spay/neuter then and release them back to where they were), we trapped twenty freaking six of those things. So, especially in the summer heat, it stank. Of cat droppings. Once we started counting the cats, as well as we could, because they weren't all there at the same time during the day, many of them looked alike, etc., we came up with like, 13. We had no idea it was actually DOUBLE that amount. I don't know how many humane traps and how many trips to the place it took, but it was over four days. And we STILL didn't get them all - but the others didn't get fed by Stan anymore, so while they still sheltered there, at first, I got sick and had to stop working full time before it was determined if they were still going to stay there (as in not move on) or if they started breeding again.

[Bebop]

I still want a Tshirt....