Happy 10 Years to Me!

The Sanctuary (I borrowed this picture from HERE)

I was going to post another beverage review today, but I got too lazy to look for my notes on the beverage, so I decided to do this instead...and to be honest, this was probably overdue by a few weeks anyway. Sometime in late July or early August of 2001, I smoked my very first cigar, so I thought it would be a good time to wish myself a happy 10th smoking anniversary! (I'm guessing cigarette smokers don't celebrate smoking anniversaries...I could be wrong...)

I was vacationing with a friend in San Luis Obispo, California, at the time. We knew a couple guys in our church group that were cigar smokers and I had been intrigued, so when we saw the cigar shop my friend encouraged me to go ahead. The Sanctuary at 1111 Chorro Street was the location I bought my first cigar and I believe it was an Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur, although I could be wrong about that. My friend and I went back to the place we were staying (yes, my friend was female, but we were not "involved" at the time...just friends...really), went to some patio chairs set down by San Luis Obispo Creek, and I struggled with matches to get the cigar lit...it took a while with even just a light breeze. I enjoyed, she took a few puffs and said she didn't care for it. She left the next day, but I stayed on a day or two more. I went back to the smoke shop and bought another cigar and headed over to the little amphitheater that sits in front of the Mission, facing the creek that runs through downtown. I lit up, opened up Lord of the Rings (first time for that, too, by the way), and smoked and read. Great times.

Since then I have learned much about cigars and gotten to a point where I smoke them more than a couple times a week. Now days it is rare for a day to go by without a cigar being reduced to ashes on my front porch...and most of those days are when I am sick! My palate has matured, my tastes are more refined, but I still occasionally go back to one of my early favorites like the Drew Estate Natural Dirt...still love them, sweetened tip and all. I've learned much more about what goes into growing, developing, and rolling the tobacco into these little moments of joy, but I have so much still to learn. Most importantly, I've made many friends because of a mutual admiration for the leaf...friends I may not have made otherwise because of age, geographical or political differences. To all who I count as friends and Brothers and Sisters of the Leaf...thank you for adding so much to my life.

I wouldn't trade the last 10 years for anything!