2004-05-19 - 1:07 p.m.
Well, I can honestly say that Las Vegas did not live up to its reputation, at least not on this visit. I’m pretty certain that was largely to do with the company and the reason for going out there in the first place. We went out there for a wedding (my god – the wedding), so understandably it was a much more family-oriented type of trip than most people expect when they go out to Vegas. I definitely enjoyed myself, for the most part. I loved the pool at the Flamingo, where we stayed – it was crowded and fun, and I got a really great tan. The people-watching in general was also amazing. I couldn’t believe the variety of people. Seriously – constant entertainment. We visited a whole bunch of the casinos, and went on the rollercoaster at New York New York (where I confirmed that I do have a serious fear of heights). Another highlight was FatBurger, although I wish I wasn’t hung over when we went there. I think the major reason why I have mixed emotions about the trip was that it was a little overwhelming, being my first time out there. There was just so much to see and do that it was hard to pick one thing. And also not knowing what was fun, or which clubs were the best places to go, made it hard. We got kind of stuck going back to the first place we went to and had fun at, rather than trying new things. The next time I’m out there will be for a bachelor party, and I’ll be with people who’ve been there before, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy myself that much more. Oh – and the biggest reason of ALL that I’m not glowing right now is that I didn’t win a single thing. Sure, ten bucks here, ten bucks there, but that was all entertainment gambling. The one blackjack table I sat down at SUCKED, and I only managed to not lose on one hand, which was a push anyways. Maybe if I’d come back with $1000 in my pocket, I’d have a much better impression of the place. Ah well. There’s always next time.The flights were really not bad at all, either. There was a huge bachelor party on our flight on the way out, and they were kind of rowdy and fun. We took Song, which I would highly recommend. The flight attendants were all extremely pleasant, the flight was cheap and on time, and the in-flight entertainment was great – I loved the music trivia, where you got to compete against other people on the plane, and the satellite TV and music was great to keep you occupied for six hours on the way out. The flight back was a little tough… We took the redeye, which left at one in the morning EST, and arrived around 5:40am (we made great time, at least!). I went straight back to J’s, and we were in bed by seven. I, unfortunately, had to work, so I slept until a little after eleven, and was at work by 12:30pm. Last night I watched the Sox, then 24, then totally crashed, and today I feel great! I even woke up before my alarm went off, which is rather unusual for me. I’m psyched that yesterday was the only jetlag I’m going to feel (fingers crossed). I would do the redeye again. It’s certainly better than wasting daylight hours in a plane.
Three weeks from today is my last day at work. It’s pretty scary, especially since I know how fast it’s going to fly by. I’m really looking forward to having my life back to myself, though, doing what I want to do every day. Although I’m still absolutely feeling anxiety about going back to school, etc., it’s slowly turning into excitement. I know I’m good at school (heck, I’d even say I’m great!), so it will be nice to feel successful at something again. I don’t think I’ve had a real sense of fulfillment and success at anything (besides knitting) since I was laid off a year and a half ago. I’m looking forward to that great sense of accomplishment I used to get from academics. The money issues are still niggling at the back of my mind, though. Once I get all that sorted out, I’ll really be able to relax and enjoy the experience of being back at school. That can’t happen soon enough, though, as far as I’m concerned! Gah.
