I started out with a $15 "cig-a-like" styled e-cig. I used 24mg pre-filled cartomizers. I had 2 packs of traditional cigs left when I got my e-cig. I began by trading every other traditional cig for the e-cig... then I moved up to 2 e-cig for every 1 traditional cig and so on. Within 3 days I completely quit traditional cigs and never looked back.
Prior to quitting traditional cigarettes... I was an asthmatic, borderline COPD, with chronic bronchitis and sinusitis. Since quitting traditional cigs and switching to Vaping... I haven't used an inhaler since 2012, I no longer have any wheezing when I breathe, I have not had any bouts of bronchitis or sinusitis. I feel healthier, smell better, and my energy level has increased.
*UPDATE 12/17: I've been vaping for 5+ years now and have seen no ill side effects of any kind.
**UPDATE 9/19: I've been vaping for 7+ years now and still have seen no ill side effects.
***UPDATE 2/23: I've been vaping for 11+ years now and still have not seen any ill side effects.
I KEPT IT SIMPLE!. I didn't go for the big guns right outta the gate.. I gave myself time to get used to vaping and an array of juice flavors before I moved on to Clearomizers or Tanks or Mods. I got a USB hub and had several 510 auto stick batteries in rotation.
After about 3-4 months.. I stepped up to e-liquid and ce2's. When I made that switch I moved to NON tobacco flavored juices. (Give me a tobacco flavored juice today and I GAG!) It wasn't until about Feb. of 2013 that I finally stepped up again to Ego/EVOD type batteries and tanks/clearomizers. I wanted to keep it fairly simple... I've found there are some pretty complicated devices out there in Vapeland.
August 2013 - I lowered my nicotine level to 18mg and bought my first Variable Voltage (VV) battery. I bought my first MOD in December of 2013. Today my collection has grown to over 60 Ego/Evod style batteries and 20+ MOD's.
Fall 2013 - I discovered Vaughn / Vapers.tv / Nova. I quickly became a permanent fixture in all of the prime time shows. I saw a need for a reliable, consistent viewer to step up and assist the hosts by posting web and winner links for the sponsors. I began copying and saving all posts until I had a complete list of all the sponsor links for the shows. It wasn't long until the "Link Ninja" emerged. I supported one show, then two... then soon began supporting all of the other prime time hosts. On 2/15/14 Nova graciously honored me by making me a MOD for their network - Despite the fact that I was not a show host. My journey would not have been the same without them.
January 2014 - I went on a mission to find a way to store my juice collection without taking up a lot of space on my desk. This journey led me to discover a wire wall rack that is actually intended for nail polish, but works perfectly for up to 50ml size plastic bottles of juice. I bought one, hung it, filled it up. I was so impressed with this rack that I began sharing a picture and the link to buy it with other vapers. One by one, vapers in our community began to buy them also. Before I knew it, "Countrypami's Big Juicy Rack" was born and is now widely known throughout the vaping community. I have 2 of them on my wall. *UPDATE 12/17: With the recent changes in bottle styles/sizes, the newer unicorn style bottles will only fit on the top shelf of these racks. Glass bottles, 50ml and larger do not fit in the racks but can be leaned back on the top shelf.
March 2014 - I lowered my nicotine level to 12mg. I feel comfortable at this level and I am in no hurry to drop again.
May 2014 - I was once again honored when I was asked to be a moderator for the Vaping Underground Forum - part of the VaporJoes Network.
November 2014 - I left the Nova network and moved over to the Vaping Underground Live. I am a MOD there and have been with them since it’s conception.
Spring 2015 - I again lowered my nicotine level and I am now vaping at 3mg - 6mg.
June 2015 - I launched the CountryPami's World of Vaping Blog.
July 2015 - I finally took the plunge into sub-ohming. Now, I am not an advocate for sub-ohming.. in fact, I've been pretty much the opposite. But I decided to finally give it a try. I got an Aspire Triton V1 Sub-Ohm Tank (I figured this was a safe bet for me since it will also take 1.8 ohm coils.) and a Cool Fire IV. At .4 ohm and 24.5 watts it's a good vape.
September 2015 - I went to my very first Vape Meet - VAPE MANIA in Winston-Salem, NC. What an adventure! I was lucky enough to have a fabulous roommate (y'all know her as 3Dog). And I was generously chauffeured by Jeremy and Jen Colvin (Lucidious Rage/Crafty Buckeye). The reception when we arrived at the hotel was heart warming. It was fantastic to finally meet in person so many of the folks I'd been calling "friend" for 2 years. It was fun, manic, chaotic, exhausting... so many vendors, friends, fellow vapers... I'll treasure the memories forever!
March 2016 - I began working as the Social Media Manager for a very popular e-liquid company.
May 2016 - VU Live moved its broadcast to YouTube.
April 2017 - Not much has changed over the last year. Although the online vape community seems to have dwindled some... I'm still very active with VU Live, and with the Vaping Underground Forum. I'm vaping mostly 3mg nic now. And I'm still working as a Social Media Manager for the same e-liquid company.
December 2017 - It's been a year of ups and downs for the industry. With the FDA regulations dropping, a lot of the innovation has came to a halt. Sadly, many shops have been forced to close their doors due to these same regulations. The vaping shows are at a minimum now. Viewership is significantly less. But there are still a few good shows about. As for me, I'm still here... doing my thing. Hunting deals, taking vapemail pics... and spending the majority of my time in the Vaping Underground Forum modding and assisting other vapers. I love helping the new follks and making sure they have all the educated information they need. I'm also dabbling in DIY e-liquid now... haven't made any award winners yet, but I'm learning. I'm still vaping at 3mg, maybe 2018 will see me at 0mg!
September 2018 - Well, the war on Vaping is still going on. Most of the FDA regs are now being enforced. We've seen more shops go under due to the new regs. However, innovation seems to be on the upswing. Lots of new devices and tanks are coming out every day. We have "Pod" systems now. These are "closed" systems which are basically a plastic tank attached to an internal battery. These are typically MTL. Some are refillable, some the coil can be switched out, and some are designed more as disposable. Since early spring we have been in a fight to save the availability of flavors in Vaping. I'm sure this will be an ongoing battle for quite some time. The ability to change flavors often is WHAT MAKES VAPING WORK! The words "vape", "vaper", and "vaping" can now be found in the dictionary. Does that mean they are finally seeing it as a real, permanent thing? LOL
Me? Not much has changed since my last update. There are only a handful of shows that still air. I no longer link any of them. The forum continues to grow and is very active. I'm still doing social media. I haven't gotten into DIY as much as I wanted to. There are so many juices that I like, it's just simpler for me to buy them. I still vape at 3mg, I'm comfortable here. I'm not sure when I'll take the plunge to 1.5mg or 0mg.
September 2019 - It's all out war on Vaping. 2 states (Michigan, New York) have now banned the sale of all flavored e-liquids except for tobacco and menthol. President Trump is pushing forward a federal ban on all e-liquid flavors except for tobacco. (Those flavors that have been approved through the PMTA process will be allowed to remain on the market.) This falls on the heels of approximately 500 vapers that became ill (5 died) after vaping BLACK MARKET, THC cartridges that were cut with Vitamin E oil. NEVER VAPE ANY TYPE OF OIL! This was NOT traditional PG/VG/NIC/FLAVORING e-liquid that 5+ million vapers have been using for over 10 years with ZERO deaths. But, I have faith the community will find a safe work around. The biggest change in the last year is the addition of "salt nics". I have not tried them and don't fully understand them yet. What I do know is that they are not actually salt, they come in much stronger concentrations, and they are said to mimic the head rush you get from a traditional cigarette. As for me... At the end of August, after 5+ years, I was asked to be an Administrator in the Vaping Underground Forum. I'm still vaping on the same style of gear, mostly single 18650 mods and my Kanger subtanks. Although, I own more gear than any one person could ever need! I'm still not ready to give up nic completely, so I remain at 3mg nic. I'm also still employed by the same juice company. Only 2 shows remain now on VU Live and a few over on IVlog.
February 2023 - Well, in a few days I will have been vaping for 11 years. And for the record, I have not one ailment or side effect to show from it. I'm still at 3mg, still using my Kanger's and iSub's (Although they have gotten extremely hard to find.) VU Live hasn't broadcasted a show for about 2 years. There's a few stragglers scattered about the interwebs, but nothing that draws more than a handful of viewers. The forum has gone from 1000's of viewers a day to 50. Most states have banned flavored e-cigs and the shipping of any vape related product. Between the FDA deadlines and new laws passed, a good 60-70% of vape websites and shops have been forced to close. This is what big tobacco wanted, they now own the market. It's what I would call "the Apocalypse of Vaping". It's sad to see how quickly we went from 1000's of active vapers/shops/shop owners online to just a handful of holdouts. This will probably be my last update here. With the online community essentially annihilated, there's nothing left to tell about. I wish any smoker making the switch the best of luck! You'll find me over here doing my critter thing >> https://www.youtube.com/c/CountryPami .
This has been my journey thus far... my hope is that my story will educate and encourage other smokers to switch to the 95% safer option of Vaping rather than smoking.
I love a great deal on anything Vape related and keep a photo journal of all my Vape-mail. You can check it out here: Vape-mail photo journal.
I consider myself a vape enthusiast... I'm an active vape advocate and proud to call myself a vaper! Vaping is a lot of trial and error. I had to try many different set-ups/flavors to find what I liked and what worked best for me. You can see my list of my favorite gear here CountryPami's Gear. There is no right or wrong way to do it. You just have to take the time and effort to figure out what works best for you!
