So I went out last night with a group of friends. I know that you’re not suppose to go to bars, or places where there will be a lot of smoking, when you are trying to quit. But I also reason that I am not an island, and without a little bit of social interaction I might go insane and start smoking anyway. So all of that to say that I did it. I went to a bar and I survived.

I even had some people offer me a cigarette and I politely declined and said that I was trying to quit. Everyone that I spoke to about this went into a five to ten minute diatribe about how they too, need to quit smoking and how they’ve thought about it, but they’re just waiting for this one thing to happen before they actually start.

It made me feel good about myself, that I actually started trying and quit putting it off. Honestly, there is always some excuse that you can think of to keep you from doing it. So while I was sitting there, truly jonesing for a smoke, I also felt incredibly empowered and proud of myself for taking the leap.

The next morning as I stood in the shower and the steam wafted around me, I could smell the smoke from last night. The smoke was such a strong smell as it was released from my hair. It was the first time that it occured to me that I might be becoming a non-smoker, because honestly I was glad to get the smoke out of my hair and out of my body.

So all of that is to say that I am proud of myself. I survived the bar and I came out on the other side, stronger and more resolute than ever.