I felt right at home inside the bar. Now that might sound like old news to people who know me well, but this situation had a different element.

The bar in question was in Cambridge, Mass., and I had never visited the place before. When I exited the subway station, I had to walk down the block a bit to make sure I was in the right place. But things felt familiar once I stepped inside.

This had nothing to do with the décor or the beer selection, although I found the latter quite impressive. I felt at home because I hadn’t seen the bartender in close to 20 years.

When I found out I would go to Boston for work in late June, I did the same thing I did whenever I start planning a business trip – I try to figure out what kind of fun things I can do in my free time.

Sure, I looked forward to giving my first presentation at an important industry conference on this particular trip, but the chance to explore Boston and maybe catch up with some friends really took priority.

I spent a lot of time hanging out with Jeff in college. He ranked as one of my closest friends during that time. I wouldn’t say we caused a lot of trouble, but so many of my great memories from that time period involve Jeff (and maybe an adult beverage or two).

We stayed in touch for the first few years after school ended. He graduated a year before me and managed to visit a few times. We saw each other at a few weddings, including my own in 1995 when he enjoyed razzing me as I waited for the ceremony just to see if he could make me more nervous.

But I hadn’t seen him since that day in October 1995 until I walked into the Boston bar where he works. When the planning for my free time started for this trip, visiting Jeff took precedence over everything else.

I have entered the time in life when I start to get extra sentimental over things like my college experience. Everyone experiences this, but I think it affects me more since I rarely see people who made such an impact on that important part of my life. Sure, we stay in touch via Facebook (which is a lifesaver in this regard), but nothing beats sharing a drink and some memories with someone who was there as you developed into the person you are today.

That’s why I felt at home walking into that bar. I knew I would have a good time regardless of any outside influences. The fact that he had to work while we talked didn’t matter. The band which played later merely added to the story. The other people who wanted to bend his ear just reminded me why I always had a good time with Jeff.

Nothing exciting happened that night, but it ranks as one of the best days of the year for me. Now I just need to re-kindle many other friendships. I know I can do it, one beer at a time.