Last month, I had a work convention in Denver.
It was my first time in Colorado and my first time seeing the Midwest.
I arrived on a Monday afternoon. Our first lecture was Tuesday morning. I had all of Monday afternoon and evening to get to know the other participants. There was a mixer downstairs in the lobby of the hotel from 6 until 9 pm. I recognized a familiar face, even though I was in the middle of Denver. One of the other people there for the convention was a previous co-worker of mine. I had not seen that guy in 15 years, but he still looked exactly the same. We sat at a table and talked about our lives, wives, and kids. We had a couple of drinks. When we were getting ready to say goodbye for the evening, Jack asked me if I wanted to join him in the parking lot of the hotel for a marijuana joint. Denver is a place where marijuana is legal. Jack purchased recreational marijuana from a dispensary close to the hotel. I hesitated for a moment and then I decided to join my old friend. I slept better that night than I have in many years. Before I left to head back home at the end of the week, I went to the Denver recreational marijuana dispensary and purchased a couple of items that might help me sleep better at home. I knew that I would be unable to take these items on the airplane, so I sent myself a care package before I went back home.