My cousin emailed me looking to come and visit me in Santa Barbara. She’d tried calling, but I was in a meeting and had my phone turned off. I saw the email later and called her back. Ever since the pandemic, she was back at home and felt quite hopeless. She tried to find something to do, but there were no opportunities in the small town. I was so willing to help since she’d always been there for me growing up. I knew coming to the city would be tough for her, but it’s what she needed. There were far more opportunities in Santa Barbara. We arranged for her flight, and I even spoke to my aunt about the visit. We didn’t elaborate and only said she was coming to visit me. My cousin arrived early one Saturday morning, and I was happy to see her at the airport. Immediately we left the airport, she commented on how big Santa Barbara was. I wasn’t going to give her a chance to cringe and took her to a party later that evening. I wanted her to relax and not feel quite intimidated. At first, she stood at a corner but later mingled after taking a pot brownie and relaxing. With weed being legal in California, it was common to see marijuana products at such events. My cousin actually enjoyed herself and told me she was beginning to like the city as we took a taxi home. That was music to my ears since I wanted her to stay and not fly back home.