Day 6 (Monday 20th March)

Slowly nearing the first big hurdle, the one week mark. Last Tuesday at 7:30 a.m in the morning, I had my last cigarette. It has not been easy so far, with the more than occasional craving waves hitting the body and mind. The withdrawal persists for five minutes or so, and it has generally been the longest collection of five minutes I have come across. Sometimes, I almost felt compelled to run out to the cigarette store downstairs, just across the street, and buy a pack. I have vividly imagined the relief and exuberance I would have felt after the first puff, almost akin to an orgasm, though I wouldn't know what the latter actually feels like (ahem). I, like many teenagers in their prime, had done my research. But I waver from topic at hand.
As I was saying, as vividly I have imagined the exuberant first puff after a number of days without nicotine,  I have also imagined the dark deep abyss of self loathing I'd have felt immediately after. If anything I have perfected over the course of my perfectly below average and under achieving life so far, it has been my attempt to loathe myself for the life decisions I've made and the lack of achievements thereof. And I didn't want to add to the laundry list of poor decision making and lack of will power to sustain myself to an earlier easy-appearing judgement call. In a nutshell, my loathing of my self loathing abilities has kept me going so far. But as the days pass, the duration of the most  withdrawals seem lesser and lesser. As I said earlier, the first week does seem to be the toughest. But then again, you can fall off the bandwagon even after six months, or a year; when you seem to overestimate your ability to control your urges and think that one puff will not matter after so many days , and you're never going to fall back into the abyss again. Trust me, you'll be proven wrong and horribly so. But, we'll cross the bridge when we come to it. As of now, the third hurdle appears overtaken. First hurdle was the first 24 hours, second hurdle was the first three days, and this, one week , is the third hurdle.
As they say, any habit to form a part of your routine takes approximately 21 days; so does to get rid of a habit I guess. On to the next hurdle then, 21 days nicotine free.