Hookah Smoking

I can honestly say that I did not find smoking cigarettes that addicting at all. I have friends that are hooked on smoking cigarettes but I did not find it addicting. I could go days and weeks easily without nicotine. That all changed when a friend of mine turned me on to smoking shi-sha through a hookah.

I live adjacent to a college town of a well known university in Virginia. I decided I wanted to go to the hookah lounge in this college town. I had never been, nor had I ever smoked shi-sha, so I begged my friends, especially my brother, to accompany me there. My friends had other plans and my brother is against smoking and thinks I need to quit. I still really wanted to go--I asked people in the college PRIDE group of this university that I am part of if anyone would like to go with me. I had a few people interested but two people couldn't go that night and one was broke. I offered to buy the shi-sha and the one that was broke took me up on the offer.

I met this girl, Liz, in front of the hookah lounge and we decided it would be better if we bought the shi-sha and went back to her place to smoke as she owns a hookah. Liz taught me all I needed to know about hookahs, heating the coals, and changing them. I got a light headed, dizzy; yet pleasurable high that I had not had since I drank alcohol. We spent over 3 hours just smoking shi-sha, talking, and listening to music. It was amazing and we both agreed that it was one of those connections that we had felt like we had known each other for a long time as opposed to have just meeting.

It was getting late. I had to work the next day and Liz had class; so, we hugged, made plans to meet again, and told each other bye.

We met up at her apartment within the following week and watched a movie, cuddled, talked, and smoked again.  I started to have feelings for this girl and I think maybe she felt the same. As I was getting ready to leave, I told her when I got back from Richmond, she could come by my house.

As I promised her, I took her by my house and asked her if she wanted to spend the night. She agreed as her roommate was having a significant other over and there was a chance of more than just a date that was going to happen. We talked for a bit as I do not have internet or cable at my house and she did not bring her hookah. Talking turned into intimacy.

The following day, we had a conversation through text. She decided that we were looking for different things and she did not want to pursue a relationship. I was okay with that as I agree that we are at different points in our lives and I am looking for a longer term relationship and she is not.

We went our separate ways. I was thankful for what I learned from her--I am a firm believer that a person learns something from every relationship whether good or bad, informational/superficial or a lesson that has a deep impact. I learned how to smoke shi-sha. At that point, I still did not consider myself addicted to nicotine; I had even changed my mind from wanting to buy my own to just occasionally going to a hookah lounge.

The next time I was in Richmond, I decided to visit the Mona Lounge as I wanted to check it out even before I smoked shi-sha but did not really have a reason to go there. Once I found out that they had hookahs, I decided to stop by on Ladies Night. I tried a couple different flavors-- Sex on the Beach and Mint-- and then, Mint with Red Bull (which the added Red Bull did nothing for me). I found myself getting that same pleasurable high that I had gotten when I smoked with Liz. It helped me relax and I slept well that night. Over the next couple of weeks, I found myself going back to the Mona Lounge twice a week and spending 3-4 hours there. Smoking cigarettes anymore do not do anything for me, even smoking a pack in one sitting. I guess at this point, it is safe to say that maybe I am addicted to nicotine...in very high amounts.