What Happens in Vegas...

There are a lot of things I don't understand in this life: wearing pajamas in public, the existence of PT Cruisers, rooting for Pitt. And while I have places I've traveled that I love more than others, there are very few that I basically loathe. Las Vegas is at the top of the loathing list.

My husband had a conference in Vegas, and I decided to tag along. It seemed like a nice time for us to get away together and for me to give Vegas a do over. I've been once, more than seven years ago, for a wedding. At the time I did not enjoy it at all. I don't gamble, and while I love food and cocktails, I honestly found it boring. We were there for a long weekend, and it was probably two days too long. I thought this was an opportunity for me to reassess my thoughts about Vegas. It turns out my opinion did not change. At all.

My first time in Vegas in 2009. My hair is...fluffy.

We arrived Wednesday evening and stayed at the Paris. On our first trip our hotel wasn't great, so I hoped staying at a more central spot on the strip and a nicer hotel would be better. I was assaulted by smoke when we walked in, and I'd somehow forgotten that everyplace in Vegas smells super smokey. We checked in and had dinner. I was in bed by 9 pm local time (which felt like midnight) because I have a two-year-old and I'm perpetually exhausted.

Naturally we were up at 3 am on Thursday but managed to fall back asleep. My husband's conference and my workload took up much of the day Thursday, although I did manage to get in a good workout at the hotel gym. My husband and I had a quiet dinner at The Palm Thursday evening, and by 10 pm local time I was exhausted. When we got back to the hotel I looked at myself in the mirror in the elevator. I looked like a zombie, and I felt okay crashing. We are wild Vegas partiers.

Dinner at The Palm. I look absurdly tired.

On Friday I had a good bit of work to do too, but I managed to fit in some shopping at Caesars Palace before a conference call and a lunch meeting. Friday evening my husband's company hosted a dinner for legislators and staff attending the conference, and it was a beautiful night with a lot of people with whom I love working. Being in a marriage with two lobbyists means my husband's work events can be work for me too if I organize it right. It's not the worst thing.

I don't hate the sunshine

Early Saturday I hit the treadmill to walk which, by the way, seems to take forever. Last week I ran for the first time since my surgery last month, and while I was slow it felt pretty good. Later that evening, however, I realized I was not ready to run. I was in a lot of pain, and it was apparent that my body is still expending a lot of energy to rid itself of this massive infection. I ran for ten minutes on the treadmill my first morning in Vegas, and I paid for it all day. I have my next appointment with the surgeon next week, but I realized it's not worth it. It's not worth it to push myself to run again before my body is ready. My body has always cooperated and bounced back nicely, and if I push it here I may do irreparable harm. Even though it's hard I'm going to make myself wait. 

My disappointment in not running helped me appreciate day drinking (okay I always appreciate day drinking). We watched my Mountaineers get eviscerated by Oklahoma Saturday evening, and I may or may not have enjoyed a lot of champagne. By the time we got up to leave on Sunday I was more than ready to go.

Our last morning. I woke up with a wicked cold, and it shows.

I understand there are things to do in Vegas off the strip like going to the Hoover Dam or hiking. People go to shows, but there wasn't really anything we were excited to see. My husband and I travel to visit cities, and Vegas feels like a forced place. I don't mind crowds or busyness (as evidenced by my love of New York), but Las Vegas does not feel authentic. Add to that the fact that we don't gamble (other than my ill-fated bet for my Mountaineers), and Vegas is kind of boring. Sure there are lots of restaurants, but they all feel like they have the same menu. And don't get me started on the lack of walkability; having to take walkways over ten lanes of traffic below. It was nice to have quality alone time with my husband and get lots of sleep. Next time I propose we do it somewhere a little less shiny.