Okay, it’s been a minute since my post announcing that I was going to Las Vegas. If you haven’t heard that story, I recommend reading my post, “I Quit my Job and Booked a Flight to Vegas,” first. I fully intended on posting about the trip fairly soon after it was over. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. As soon as I signed up for my blogging class, I knew this post needed to be one of my first. Without further ado, let’s have a cup of tea (or two, this is going to be a long one) and explore my trip to Las Vegas!

The first thing I needed was a suitcase. My old one had to be retired after many years of service and a broken zipper, so I needed a new one. I got a good deal on a cute, striped one from Marshall’s and excitedly packed it. Monique called and told me she had a surprise for the evening I got there. Her only instruction to me was to not look up shows in Vegas because I would know it immediately. After insuring it wasn’t the Magic Mike show or any other production with intentional nudity, I let the excitement set in.

I stayed at my aunt’s house the night before my flight and didn’t sleep a wink. I was so nervous to fly that nothing could get me calm enough to sleep. My Lyft arrived on time, but didn’t see me. I actually scared the man by walking up to his car. He jumped so high that the car moved. The man stepped out and laughed at himself for being so startled. It turned out I hadn’t put in the correct address for the terminal, but my driver helped me get where I needed to go.

The last time I flew, hardly anyone had insulin pumps. As a Type 1 Diabetic, I need my insulin pump with me at all times. Beyond that, it feels like a part of my body and it feels weird when people act disrespectful about it. Questions don’t bother me, but acting like it’s a huge inconvenience to someone, like a TSA agent, does bother me. The last couple times I flew, which were in 2009 and 2010, there wasn’t really a universal protocol for insulin pumps and far fewer people had insulin pumps. One airport did a full pat down of me and went through my carry-on, one made me disconnect my pump and put it on the conveyor belt, and one just had me show the front and back of my pump. I was expecting something similar this time. I thought I would need to explain everything and fight for my dignity. However, nothing could have been farther from what happened. The TSA agent saw my pump before I said anything, knew what it was, and told me they just needed to feel where it was connected. They were respectful and non-invasive. I was beyond relieved and impressed.

With that over, I only needed to worry about the flight. I watched an episode of Modern Family on my iPad and then boarded the flight. I found an empty window seat next to a couple who were fighting about something and sat down. Once the plane took off, I dozed off and went in and out of near sleep until the plane landed. As I entered the airport full of slot machines and tourists, I saw a giant sign of the Cirque du Soleil show, “The Beatles Love.” I immediately knew that was the show we were going to see and resisted the temptation to call Monique and ask if that’s what it was. I collected my luggage and waited for Monique.

She drove up and got out of the car. We hugged and it was like we hadn’t been apart at all, despite not having seen each other in about 8 months. There’s something about seeing your best friend after a long time that just makes every other care melt away for awhile. We chatted on the way back to her home where I got to see her baby, Arlyn.

We decided then to go see the Hoover Dam. Monique, her husband Nick, Arlyn, and I piled into the car and drove to the Hoover Dam. This was mostly a driving around trip to talk, see the dam, and take a couple photos. It was hot and none of us really felt like getting out of the car and walking around, particularly with a baby.

Later that evening, we went to Cirque du Soleil. The show was magical. As a longtime Beatles fan and a fan of Cirque du Soleil, it’s been a dream of mine to see this show. Walking into the Mirage hotel was like walking into what I originally thought casinos were like. My only experience with a casino before then had been a depressing, packed, smoke-filled place. The carpet was worn and the people there looked like they had nothing and were losing a lot. The Mirage was different. It was spacious, clean, and grand. The whole place sparkled with lights and shiny glass There were fountains and living plants. It felt alive.

We made our way to our seats (which were upgraded because the show was under-filled) and watched the show. I don’t think I blinked the whole time. It was absolutely amazing. If you ever have the chance to see Cirque du Soleil, do it. There is nothing else like it. The costumes and the music paired with amazing fetes of human strength and coordination are just magical. There isn’t another word for it. I was able to complete a trip tradition at this show also. Whenever I go on a significant trip, I get a Christmas ornament. This Christmas, I hung a Cirque du Soleil ornament on my tree.

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By the end of that day, we were exhausted, so we went to bed pretty quickly. The next morning, we decided to have a low-key day. We hung out around the house and talked. Of course we did some shopping and ate at In-N-Out. At a baby store, Monique put some sunglasses on Arlyn. He looked adorable and then cried when she tried to take them off, so she bought them. The rest of the day, people kept stopping us and saying how cute he looked in his sunglasses.

On the last full day of my trip, we went to the Venetian. This is a grand hotel, mall, and tourist attraction all in one. The ornate building is painted like Venice. The ceiling is painted to look like the sky, storefronts mimic Venetian shops, and there is a literal river going through the mall that you can take a gondola ride on. There were singers performing a traditional Italian opera, complete with costumes. Then, we went to the Cake Boss restaurant, which was delicious.

The last day was hard, of course, but we went to The Cheesecake Factory before she took me to the airport. We said our fond farewells, knowing that no matter how much time would pass before we saw each other again, we would pick up right where we left off. Now, we actually live in the same state, so I can go see her much easier!

This post has a lot of photos. Not pictured, though, are the hours of laughter, stories, and love that come when best friends reunite. Also not pictured is the feeling of freedom and independence that came over me during this trip. Not everyone has the opportunity to quit their job and go to Vegas. That’s a little insane. But, I encourage everyone to try something that scares them. Do something that gets you out of your comfort zone. Maybe that’s just trying a new salad dressing or dyeing your hair. Just something you wouldn’t normally do. You might be surprised at how great it feels.

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