vacation quit advice!

My husband had smoked for 30 + years.  He smoked at least 2 packs a day and when he couldn't smoke he chewed nicorette gum (I know, how could anyone stand that stuff!)When he decided to quit we scheduled a family trip to Yellowstone to get him out of his usual environment and provide a place that was serene and natural to help his efforts! We packed up our 3  kids in the car (having them to distract him and not being able to smoke with them in the car) and drove for hours! This was the first step in an action packed driving vacation!

We talked about the area, read books and paplets and took hikes. Trying to drive and take in that incredibly beautiful park was inspirational to him. The kids and I just kept him busy and when he got cranky we asked him to be our cameraman or do something that would distract him from his withdrawals. It helped to have something in his hands that he needed to concentrate on instead of his old habit!

It worked and he has been smoke free since September 1992! He even went on to become a runner which helped him deal with his daily stress and not light up a cigarette!

A vacation in a beautiful environment helped him quit because his routine was completely different for several days and he didn't any time to dwell on his discomfort! The hardest thing for our family was dealing with his cranky attitude without becoming annoyed or angry with him. He was doing the best he could to be a better parent!