A NON-SMOKER for ONE year today!

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Two important things for today: My dad turned 60 years young, and...I have been a "non-smoker" for 1 ENTIRE YEAR! 1 year of not smoking cigarettes. Last January 28th, 2020 - I took one last "splurge" to the casino with one of my good friends with 2 packs of cigarettes in my purse, smoked like there was no tomorrow, and then quit cold turkey. I smoked about all of the 2 packs, until my lungs burned and my tongue felt like sandpaper. Yum! And suffered for about 14 miserable days. I have never felt as unhinged and unstable as I had when I was first coming off of nicotine. What a crazy addiction. On a NORMAL day I would smoke about 1 pack of cigarettes, on a bad day - 1 1/2 - 2 packs (these were usually road trips, trips to the casino, etc). It should be noted I smoked a pack per day since around 2008. Here's the good and bad: CONS -I have gained 25 pounds not smoking in one year. This is BAD and needs to be corrected. Working on it. -I don't feel that I can taste any better now than I had before. I didn't NOTICE that my appetite had grown, but apparently so, hence the weight gain. -I still do have the vague URGE to smoke or do something with my hands. I still have a lot of friends and family who smoke. Coronavirus has made seeing my friends and family more rare and difficult, so it isn't as hard as it could be. PROS +Like a WEEk into not smoking, my resting pulse dropped 20 beats. Awesome! My body is working less hard for the same amount of oxygen/circulation. Good news. +I've started running here and there, and can run 1 mile straight. Running was NOT an option before. A lot of the cardio made me IMMEDIATELY winded while smoking. Also, my lungs are definitely clearer. I don't cough, and I don't ever cough up phlegm like I used to on a pretty regular basis (TMI, I know, but it's truth!) +The smell of a fresh cigarette doesn't ENTICE me like it used to...And I can now smell smokers. +I am not RUSHING myself through things. A 3 hour plane ride, a movie, whatever - I don't have that sense of urgency/need to "sneak away". I am not getting STRESSED OUT if I don't have time for a smoke. +I am a lot warmer since I am not constantly going outside to smoke. AND I SMELL BETTER! It's amazing that our bodies can create this imaginary "need", such as the need for nicotine. Or, like caffeine. We CREATED this need and without it, our bodies will be miserable until we ween ourselves off of it. It just blows my mind. I don't forsee going back to smoking any time soon - I need to protect my lungs and heart. FYI, this is not a lecture for any smokers out there. You all do your own thing and what works and is best for you. My goal was to quit, and I quit. If you are looking to quit though..I am sure it's different for everyone, but basically expect a bad week or two and then after that you shouldn't feel like death any longer. LOL. Is anyone else conquering their goals this year? Do tell!!!