HELLO, KANSAS CITY!

What's a good way to come back to reality? Keep the fun going. Knowing I was headed toward kickass live music with great friends made it easier to leave Colorado.

Brandon and I discovered Shovels & Rope last summer at the Brews and Blues Festival in Telluride. Encircled by towering, forested mountains, we watched these two musicians easily shift between drums and guitars, singing and playing piano, their energy and happiness completely contagious. It was as if they were just having fun up there together, and if anyone wanted to watch, all the better.

I told Brandon that I'd be heartbroken if they weren't a couple in real life. A quick search confirmed that they are. Whew.

A few weeks before I decided to go to Colorado, we saw that they were coming to Knuckleheads, our favorite local venue. We bought four tickets, knowing we wanted to share the experience with someone. We decided to invite Hailey and Karrie, who didn't know each other. If I may say so, I'm a pretty rockin' friend matchmaker, so I was confident these two talented, sassy girls would enjoy hanging out together.

Nailed it.

We all had a fantastic night, starting with a lively conversation over dinner—my first time with friends since I left town. Seeing their lovely, familiar faces made me happy to be home. Then we were off to the show, which was open to the evening air. I kept spontaneously hugging my friends as we danced and laughed together.

I think after a month of remote social interactions, I realized what a happy luxury it is to be able to touch and look at people I care about.

It's funny, Karrie checked out Shovels & Rope on Spotify, and she thought they were...fine. I understand. We don't listen to them a lot ourselves. But being in the presence of these two powerhouses as they create together is an entirely different experience.

My friends, my guy, the music...there's no substitute for being there in person.

As if to make the point, I became separated from my precious phone in an Uber ride after the show, and didn't even realize it until after we'd been chatting for a few hours. I had all the input I needed sitting right next to me.

But you can be sure I tracked that sucker down. Let's not get that philosophical.