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Hello! I was lucky to stumble across this forum while researching the mysterious world of e-cigs, and you all seem like an informed and lovely bunch, so I'm dipping a toe in to say hi.

I'm Isla, getting rapidly older without managing to acquire much wisdom along the way. I'm a professional neurotic, full-time carer, and I'm currently in sunny Spain at the moment, but returning home to the UK (northern Ireland) depressingly soon. I've been smoking for... well, ever since I filched my first menthol from my mum's handbag at the ripe old age of 12, I think. It's grown into a heavy and horrible habit, and I get through up to 35 of the evil minty analogues in a day. The fact that they're less than a quid a pack over here in Spain, and I'm here for a good chunk of the year, has made it hard to get up the gumption to kick myself up the backside and quit.

I did quit, once. For about a year. Went cold turkey, chewed bubblegum and used a little fake cigarette (nothing fancy, just a prosthetic basically) and I found that the fake fag really helped me, so I have high hopes that something with vapour (wow!) and maybe a fake glow/ember and some flavour of menthol would be just what I need to say adios to a habit that is definitely going to kill me if I can't crush it.

So I've been doing some research, trying to wrap my woolly brain around the details... but it's all spinning around up there at the moment. 501s and wicks and cartomisers and drip tips and juices and variable voltages and resistances and ohms. Ohms! The ohms are scaring me. It's funny, but I don't think I've ever smoked so heavily as I have while doing my research in a growing state of panic! I have no real idea where to start, but I would like to order something to get me started and have it waiting back home so I have no excuses to stock up on cheap cigs to take back with me.

Sorry, this is turning into an essay. I've been browsing online stores and I like the look of Mirage Cigarettes, Paddy Puff, and Vape Escape. Not sure which is most reliable, but I would appreciate any feedback or nudges in the right direction. I'm very intrigued about the prospects of mixing my own juices, but I think it all might be too much to handle for a beginner, so I'll stick that on the backburner for a while and just focus on getting a good PV set-up and a decent menthol juice. I think I'll need a fair hit of nicotine... 18mg or 24mg, not sure. I've been carefully reading through your tips thread and trying to ferret out as much info as I can, so I know this will sound weak and silly, but I do think I need to start off with something that at least roughly looks and feels like a cigarette. The feel of the thing is a big factor for me. But from reading I understand that I'm probably not going to get the best vaping experience if I limit my options like that. I don't have a lot of money to splurge so I really don't want to make a mistake and buy something that will be useless in the long-run.

Anyway. I hope you all don't mind if I pick your brains with irritatingly daft questions in the next while! I feel like I'm in danger of over-analysing it all and thinking my way out of the project completely. Crafty addict's brain looking for any excuse not to quit...!