Last Monday night, I decided to write a list of things I hate about smoking cigarettes and what I was looking forward to with E-cigs. My intention was to post it on my blog that night. However, I got sidetracked. I had an open tab in my web browser for the Aust Post tracking on the parcel I was expecting with the e-cig starter kit I’d ordered. I idly refreshed it expecting of course that it would show it in transit since Monday had been a public holiday. It didn’t. It had ‘Delivered’ in big bold letters. Huh? On a public holiday? I looked at the delivery time – 10am. What the?? So at 10pm I wandered out to the letterbox and sure enough there was my parcel. It’d been there ALL Day! So I’ve been happily testing things out and trying various flavours and generally having a great time. My favourite flavour is no surprise to me – it’s menthol, which is what I’ve been smoking all my life. So without any further introduction, I give you four lists. Things I won’t miss about cigarettes, a list of things I was looking forward to about vaping, a list of what I like about vaping now that I’ve had some experience, and a very short list of my dislikes. Enjoy!

Things I won’t miss about cigarettes …

• Ash.
• Ashtrays
• Having to roll one before smoking it.
• Having to roll a bunch if going out.
• Having to roll one while out because I didn’t have a chance to roll a bunch before leaving home.
• Tobacco. RYO tobacco is freaking messy. I’m a neat person generally. Don’t like the mess. Don’t like the feel of it.
• Coughing my guts out.
• Needing to have essentials like filters, paper, roller & lighter.
• Smoking outside. (I don’t smoke in my house)
• The smell.
• The taste.
• Feeling like an idiot for continuing to do something that’s harmful to me.
• Stopping what I’m doing just to have a smoke.
• That need to finish the smoke so it doesn’t either go out or burn up while I’m doing something else.
• The fact they either go out or burn up.
• The need to set them in an ashtray.
• Burnt clothes. God I hate that.
• Burnt fingers.
• Yellow stains on my fingers. Disgusting. Embarrassing.
• Getting warm gear on at 3am when I wake up in the middle of the night to go out and have a smoke.

Things I’m looking forward to with e-cigs…

• Having a nice puff and exhale. Anytime. All the time.
• Less mess.
• No messy ashes.
• No messy tobacco
• Being able to be inside and having my puff while doing things like reading a book, watching TV, using the computer – writing especially.
• Staying to watch the news with the hubby instead of going out for a smoke after tea.
• A nicer smell.
• Interesting and different tastes.
• Trying new flavours
• Having a ‘dessert’ vape after tea that’s zero calories.
• Tucking it in my purse and just going.
• The idea that maybe my other half will take it up and use his pipe less.
• Being able to have a vape and set the e-cig down without worrying about forgetting it or having it disappear in a puff a smoke or burning anything. It’ll be right where I left it, ready to go.
• Setting it down on a table. Don’t try that with a cigarette!
• My lungs getting clean again.
• Not rushing outside in the morning to have a smoke. Especially when it’s cold out!
• Being able to smell and taste again.
• Having a choice in what flavour I want for the day. Or the moment.

Now that I’ve tried E-Cigs …

Likes …

• Much more satisfying ‘drag’ than my cigarettes have.
• Better taste.
• Menthol stays menthol and really clears my airways. (My menthol cigs tend to lose their ‘menthol-ness’ rather quickly.)
• My Ego-T unit can be plugged into my USB port on my computer and use it for power rather than the battery itself, saving the battery for when I’m out and about.
• The battery on the Ego-T is a big 1000 maH model and rarely needs recharging.
• Almost everything in my ‘Looking forward to’ list above aside from ‘less messy’ (see below).

Dislikes …

• Mixing flavours and plain PG / VG liquids and putting it into the cartridges can be a bit fiddly. It’s not too bad though and once done it’s done.
• The first starter kit I bought was a 510-T (tank) e-cigarette that’s small and looks like a cigarette. I thought that was what I wanted but luckily once I tried it out and liked the vaping experience I immediately ordered an Ego-T on the suggestion from the great folks in the Aussie Vapers forum. Most of my dislikes are with the 510-T and I’ll list these below.
• Compared to the Ego-T the 510-T just doesn’t have enough oomph to the vape. As in not enough ‘drag’.
• The 510 leaks. Every tank cartridge I’ve used it’s leaked if I try to get a good ‘puff’ from it. That doesn’t happen with the Ego. I used the 510 while out today and when it got near the end of the liquid, the damn thing leaked all over my hands. The top of the tank cartridge that fits into the atomiser had come off completely – and I had made sure it was on tight before I put it in earlier. I carry wet wipes with me so it wasn’t too much of a drama but was frustrating. I had thought I’d be using the 510 for ‘dessert’ vapes with flavoured liquid like ‘chocolate mint’ and such, but because of the leak issue I can’t trust them and will be retiring them from service all together. (EDIT:  I won’t have to retire them after all!  See my next blog entry).
• Nothing negative regarding vaping itself, but I gave the 2nd Ego-T in the starter kit to Rod and now that I won’t be using the 510s at all, I’ll need to order myself another one or two for my secondary use.
• Again nothing negative about vaping, but I had thought I’d try it without nicotine and have found that I still need it so have ordered some and it should arrive sometime next week. So the ‘dislike’, hopefully just temporary, is that I’m still smoking actual cigarettes for the nicotine because that’s what I’m addicted to. I’ve read many many accounts where people who’ve started vaping using nicotine have completely quit cigarettes almost instantly because using an e-cig is so much more satisfying with none of the drawbacks of smoking. I hope to be one of those people. Then I can slowly lower the nicotine level used until I’m just vaping for the pleasure of it and not because I’m addicted to nicotine. And even if I don’t get off the nicotine at least I’m not inhaling burnt crud into my system.

Summing up …

I truly like vaping. It is extremely satisfying in a way that cigarettes can’t compare to because the taste and smell is so much nicer. I can honestly say that it’s far more enjoyable than smoking a cigarette and the sooner the nicotine I ordered shows up the better. It won’t be hard to give the evil tobacco carbon monoxide poison things away in exchange for something much cleaner and far more enjoyable.

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