Rocky Mountain High

There are many benefits to living/visiting at sea level.

For instance, being at sea level occasionally means you can actually see the sea.

There is also the ability to walk for miles and take flights of stairs without wondering if someone has sucked all the oxygen from the universe just at the moment you begin to ascend the stairs, reaching the top doubled over and gasping for breath.

But drinking at sea level as opposed to drinking a mile up in the sky? That gets expensive.

I'm used to sucking down a cocktail or two and riding the buzz for a good long while.

As an example, recently, I spent a happy hour drinking dirty vodka martinis at my favorite neighborhood dive. 4 martinis later, I was unable to function normally until I'd sat drinking water for another 4-5 hours. Even then I was still a little...er...shall we say...shaky?

But at sea level? Ha!

The first night in Montreal, I had no less than 6 (SIX!) rhum and diet cokes and felt nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Boo.

Granted, the bartenders at the festival were using stoppers that did not allow them to pour more than 1-ounce shots into each drink, but still...in Denver I would have had to stop at 3 cocktails to catch my proverbial breath.

We got smarter toward the end of the festival and did not rely on the festival bartenders for our happiness. Still, it was not until the 2nd to last evening when our adorable airport boy¹ bought me a shot that I was able to hone in on the sea level formula. Still...pricey.

And gauging the damage done to the contents of my wallet, I'd have to say that, while sea level has its advantages, I'll take a Rocky Mountain High any day.


1: Adorable airport boy was met in line for the bus from the airport to the hotel upon our arrival.