I was in my early 20s when I started. Wanted the calming effects of nicotine, was into other similar interests, and was dating someone who also got into it. He was actually the second vaper I’d dated, so you could say it took me a while to be interested.
I’d had a couple cigs before but I never considered myself a smoker and didn’t take to it. Vaping became a huuuge hobby for me. Learning about different mods, building your own coils, DIY e-juice, etc. I was vaping all day, all the time, pretty much as soon as I woke up (at the lowest amount possible though). It was a nice flavor and chemical pick me up when I was on edge. Sort of like a physical distraction. I vaped for 5 or so years. The lasting effects I’ve noticed are that sometimes I miss it. That’s it. It was pretty hard to quit, mostly because I didn’t want to. I had a lot of resistance, because it became a passion for me. But nicotine regulations started to suck, and that same partner quit as well. I got really sick with a flu and didn’t vape during it. Then, I didn’t start again after I got better. I had dreams about it, and it took a bit for me to want to move on.
The thing is, though, I don’t feel any different now than when I was vaping constantly. It doesn’t improve your life that much. It’d be great if it could be an occasional thing, like alcohol or dessert is, but it’s hard to not do it all the time if you’re doing it at all. And you get to an equilibrium where it just doesn’t feel that strong. Hence the constant clouds.
The most annoying part about it is that it becomes like a security blanket. You have to take it everywhere. Forget it for work? Guess you’ll just be late today. Have to sit for a movie? Man it sucks not to vape inside. Flying for hours? What a nightmare, can’t wait to land and go outside.
It was annoying to not feel myself if I ever decided to leave my vape behind. And blowing clouds out of my car was great, but it sucked having to wipe down my car windshield all the time due to the glycerin condensation. Same with inside – no smoke on the walls, but the glycerine would hang around and I’d have to run an air purifier. I’d often worry about the vapor leaving slight residue all over my apartment, belongings, monitors, PC internals and such.
Overall, it was great for a while as it was something I got really into, but it was also a lot of money and stress over something that didn’t really benefit my life the way other hobbies still continue to do. Much better to be a free person unattached from adult security blankets. 😎