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Greetings from the land of wandering moose and timbits! :wacko: It's been a very long time since I checked in. I'm actually not altogether sure when I signed in last. I guess I reached a stage where I didn't want to think or talk or read or hear about smoking. Not even in a positive "yay, we're smoke-free!" kind of way. It took me a long time to figure that out. My early days were filled with nothing but thoughts of smoking. Once I reached a stage where it hardly ever crossed my mind, I suppose I didn't want to encourage those thoughts to come back. I didn't mean to leave so abruptly, in fact I never meant to leave at all, but every time I started to sign in, something stopped me. And then one day turned into two, and then into a week and a month and before I knew it...today had arrived. Yesterday I marked six months smoke-free. And I felt the need to come back and let you all know, that though you may not see or hear me, I'm still on the train with you. I quit romancing the cigarette months ago. I found a new love. Maybe even an obsession. It's actually a very old love. I'm back into weight lifting. Any free time I have is spent at the barbell, aiming to lift ever heavier things and put them back down again. It's spent creating meal plans, and counting macros. It's spent running, with the wind in my hair and the rhythmic tattoo of my shoes on the pavement. I often think of you guys when I run. And I send up thoughts hoping you're all well, and still riding the train. And I send up a thank you. Because without your support through those very tough early days, I wouldn't be pushing my lungs well beyond what I thought they were capable of. I wouldn't be lifting weights I've only dreamed of lifting. I wouldn't feel as strong and healthy and full of possibilities as I do now. And it's those possibilities that matter the most. If you're struggling right now, and wondering if this quit is really worth the pain you're feeling right now, listen up. Six months ago, I had certainties, but no possibilities in my life. A big giant pack of cigarettes had suffocated those. I was certain my allergies and my wheezing was getting worse. I was certain I, a former athlete, could not walk briskly down the street without getting short of breath. I was certain I could not get through one day without coughing. And I was certain that smoking would bring me an early, and unpleasant, end. Today, well, the future is uncertain. But it's full of new goals and dreams and, yes, possibilities. It's amazing how your life gets bigger somehow, and makes space for new adventures, when you're no longer planning the majority of your days around a cigarette. Suddenly there's time for...living. Do I ever think about having a smoke? Yes. But it's just a thought. It doesn't happen often. And I remind myself of what my life looks like now, and what it looked like then, and that makes the choice, and it is a choice, an easy one for me. NOPE. My hope is that everyone here keeps on choosing NOPE too. Every single day. Because it gets better. And it will be worth it. You'll see. Hugs, Ali
