Recently one of my oldest and best friends moved to the same city I live in. This was someone who I had shared many of my early trips with. This is the guy who had an accident while I was tripping for the first time, my old friend E. It had been quite a while since he and I had seen each other and both of our lives had changed considerably. Luckily he was still a fun and open minded guy and we found we still had plenty in common besides the "good old days". After going out several times I asked him if he wanted to check out the rave scene. He was definitely interested, so when the next big party rolled around, off we went.

Our drug of choice that evening was ecstasy. E had never had it before and I was honored with the opportunity to introduce E to X. Since I was in a good financial position I even bought it for him. We both took our pills almost immediately after arriving at the party. The pills had the familiar Mitsubishi stamp on them, and according to the gentleman who I had obtained them from were "turbo Mitsubishis". Cool.

Within twenty minutes I felt the lightness of being and loosening of tension that earmarks the onset of ecstasy for me. My face creased into a smile and I walked over to E to ask how he was doing. He was fine, but feeling nothing yet. I wandered around and let the vibe envelop me as the ecstasy began working it's way through my soul, warming things as it went.

When I saw E again a few minutes later something had changed in his face. I knew he was feeling it. He looked a little overwhelmed. I asked if he were OK and again he said he was. I asked what he thought and he said "Wow. Love. Everything is love…". Yes, it did appear to be working.

We wandered around the party talking to people and just generally having a mellow good time. I ran into C, a new friend I had met on New Year's Eve. We all ended up hanging in the balcony, talking shit and giving each other back rubs. The raver version of male bonding. The music was pumping and everything felt right. It was just a really good time.

I was surprised that E didn't have much to say. Most people on X, me included, talk a mile a minute. He just sat there quietly, smiling and enjoying himself. I asked him how he was feeling and he said "Incredible. I'm not old anymore!" E is 29, and like many people approaching 30 was feeling a bit long in the tooth. I had to laugh with him, because I knew exactly how he felt. I felt older at 22 than I do now at 26. Ecstasy and a few other select friends certainly have a fair amount to do with that.

Before long we were on the go again. I walked around, warmth flowing through me, feeling the vibe of the party and really feeling happy to be where I was. I looked at a few pretty girls, considered speaking to them, but that wasn't where my head was at. I just wanted to be with my friends, make a few new ones maybe and hang out in a mellow state.

I knew L was around somewhere, I'd seen her once or twice, but I didn't really feel any need to seek her out. I reflected that this probably signified a change for the better in my feelings toward her, as we necessarily grew apart. I did run into her from time to time and it was always warm and friendly, but without that burning need to be close, to hold her and be with her.

At one point I saw a pretty little girl looking lost. I sort of recognized her as being with a few acquaintances of mine so I stopped and asked her how she was doing. She told me she had lost her friends and I chivalrously offered to help her find them. Close to an hour of wandering and intermittent conversation didn't turn up her friends, but I got to know her a bit. Finally we returned to where they had last been seen and one of them turned up to take her away. She squeezed my arm and thanked me as she wandered away.

I took some 5-HTP as the ecstasy began to wear off. I had another pill, but decided I would rather experiment with using the HTP as a booster again. It did indeed seem to prop the roll back up into something substantial. I would say that I got another hour or hour and a half out of the pill as a result of taking 150 mg of 5-HTP at the three and a half hour point. Also, the jaw clench seemed dissipated and the whole trip sort of smoothed out and seemed softer. This aspect may not be desirable for everyone, but I thought it was kind of nice, definitely eased the comedown for me.

I had been wandering more or less alone for a while and when I saw E I was relieved to find he was still having a great time. He really loved the ecstasy and the rave, said he couldn't wait to go again. I was glad. I love turning people on to new things, and love turning people on to raving in particular.

The party wound down and so did we and before long we were back in our car heading home. I was still feeling the edge of the ecstasy, talking a mile a minute, expounding on my philosophy as we sped down the highway towards home. Everyone we passed seemed to be coming from the same party, and I saw one group of kids smoking a bowl in their car and had to laugh. When we finally arrived home I collapsed, exhausted, and slept for several hours. I had little or no hangover the next day.