On the eve of Neuroscience...

I just had the most amazing experience.

I flew in to DC with a very ill Sakshi in tow. We eventually made our way via Metro to the hotel to check ourselves and a waiting Nadia. After crashing the reception of the Karger Workshop for a while, I went out to find a drugstore to get a few supplies and eat.

First, I found this great little burger bistro called BGR. I don't know about you, but I eat so many mediocre burgers that I can forget how awesome the best burgers can be.

As I walked out and started to head back to the hotel, I heard what sounded like live music. I hadn't seen any outdoor pavilions or anything earlier, so I was curious and made my way across Dupont Circle to find the source.

As I got closer, the music kept going and resolved into an unstoppable brass beat. In front of a donut shop and a metro entrance was ten guys playing music. A drummer, a percussionist, a tuba, a flugel horn, and six trombones. They stood in front of a bucket on a drum pedestal that had "Brass connection" written in marker on it.

The word that popped into my head over and over again to describe the music was, "joyous."

And women were dancing on the sidewalk.

Not just "nodding their heads and tapping their toes" dancing; these women were right into the groove. And they all had these incredible smiles, just spontaneous and delighted and in the moment. I haven't seen so many people so obviously, completely, and totally happy in a lot time.

I joined in, but was a little constrained by the bag of supplies I had just picked up from the drugstore. I stayed and listened to about three more songs before they took a break and I came back to the hotel.

I pride myself on being a rationalist, but there's only word to describe what happened:

Magic.