Happy Tuesday, What's on your menu, everyone?

I grew up in a house of 2 smokers. A small apartment. I was exposed to it since, or rather before conception. So.. for my first 30 years I was a smoker - first passive- a second hand, then I took up cigarettes smoking when I got to university.

2 months after I quit smoking, I developed severe sensitivities to smell of cigarettes smoke. When I got a whiff of the smoke, I would get a needle like type stab in my temples. Then it would progress to a headache, then to migraine headache, with nausea, dry heaving... all the fun parts. My body responded like that not only to "an active smoke" but to a reside smoke in people clothes, their breaths, etc. First few months after I quit, I did not have a car and I used public transportation in Canada - busses. There were a few times I had to get off a buss, when a person near me smelled like a smoke, and there was no room to move away. If I didn't, I would start dry heaving. The first year after quitting was the worst. Later, I could tolerate smoke for a while, but if I were in a bar where people smoked, once I got home, I had to strip, immediately take a shower. and wash all my clothes.

I'm much less sensitive now (30 years nonsmoking) but I still don't like being around it. I like pipe smoke and some cigars. But only as "fresh smoke" and not people's breath or their clothes smelling like cigarette smoke.

When we travel, to Europe - somehow that doesn't bother me as much. Maybe because it's vacation so my body is more relaxed and can handle more things without freaking out.

P.S. I get nausea "just because". I.e: smell of fresh donuts or muffins (commercial) = nausea, driving by a fast food place and smelling the oil they fry things in - nausea. But... I a distant smell of a skunk, or fresh manure on a field - doesn't bother me. Does it mean I'm down to earth?

That is a super high percentage! Even with what I remember of Florence, it didn't seem like that many people. Of course, I could have been partly distracted by the museums, art history, architectural history, and amazing food.

So surprised you're a smoker. I never would have thought that of you. I smoked from 17 till 53. I had to stop for surgery and never looked back. People think my biggest accomplishment was my weight loss. I put the stop smoking a bit higher than the weight. Sometimes when I have a ****tail, or I am at the casino, and someone lights up and I smell the first puff of a cigarette I feel like I want one. I would never have another one, but sometimes I do miss it. I'm never realized how much the smell sticks to you. so glad I was successful at that.

Very true, as a smoker you don't realize the cloud of smell that you carry with you.
Good for you for quitting, I hear those who drink the cigarette afterwards is always required. Like me and coffee, when in Italy the cigarette is ready by the cup ready to be lit the second the coffee is gone.

cigarettes and coffee are a terrific combo. I think that was the hardest part for me to get over.

My mom smokes for years. She quit cold turkey and refuses to touch them. She says all it would take is one and she would be right back at it. Congrats on quitting!

I think you are the first person I know that can stop and start again and stop again.

I was a heavy smoker since 19-30. Once I landed in Canada, a very expensive country for smokers, where they also made difficult to smoke inside (in early 90's) I had to quit. And I couldn't afford it: food or cigarettes'? I did not have money for both during my first 10 months there. Initially I still smoked, but once money got really tight - I gave up smoking. Tried giving up food, but relapsed on that addiction.

Yeah, I'm one of those weird ones. Even when I lived in Italy I had set the month of august as a no smoke month. At midnight on July 31st I would stop smoking and restart at midnight on 8/31. It was my way to show myself that I was in control.

TBH, back when I was smoker, if I had to give up either food or cigarettes, I would have given up food. That's how addicted I was...

I was trying to quit for a year. And smoking helped with no eating. lol. It was coffee plus cigarettes to start the day. I did nt need freaking breakfast, or sometimes lunch. It was hot in Greece, I had frappe, and cigarettes. It was really hot in summer there... eating was overrated. But in Canada - to smoke - I had to go outside to smoke. And when winter came - -40C=-40F that's cold. Really cold. with wind-chill - over -60C. Exposed skin freezes in 1-2 min. Yea, not a good condition for smoking.