Holla, City of Squallaaa

I can't really explain Vegas other than it was magical this time. Sure, it was magical last time we went for New Years, but this time it was different, because we played Vegas right - exactly how it is meant to be played.

My roommate and I hit the road by 4 on Friday (I took off - he took a half day) and made it to Vegas by 9. Keep in mind, traffic slowed us down by 30 minutes, but last time we drove there it took 8:30 rather than an easy five. We pulled into the Riviera and began the check-in process. A cool moment occurred when we were in the elevator with an Asian family and they asked Rob and I "Taekwondo?" We kind of just looked at each other, and the dad asked "are you guys weighing in for the competition?" Oh shit, right, I had my adidas bag slung over my shoulder and Rob had a nike duffle bag to match, and we were both in shorts and athletic shoes. We had to explain that we weren't, but it was a nice inadvertent compliment.

As soon as we got to the rooms - which was brand new (we stayed there for that reason - we had heard about the renovation) and immediately took our own shower. We then had a quick drink (and a few um, Absinth shots) and left to meet up with my brother (money bags was staying at the Venetian). We hugged, we laughed, I met all his friends (awesome people) and we headed to the Mirage, for the club 'Jet' where we had two VIP tables and bottles waiting. Unfortunately though, a Moto X party (dirt bike riders) had bought out one of the tables out from underneath us - so we only had one. Oh well. We danced, we talked, we drank, we stumbled home. It was awesome.

Rob and I didn't make it back to our room until 6:30am but it didn't stop us from waking up at 10:30 to start our day. We dressed and went out to Caesar's for their buffet, which Rob swore by. After waiting in line for an hour - we were seated and gorged ourselves. I didn't want to say that the food was really bad - but Rob was busy texting his sister, whom he had gone to the buffet a year ago, about how they had redesigned the whole place. She responded back that they had eaten at the Bellagio buffet. Whoops.

We finished our food and met my brother, Will, and Parish at the Cosmopolitan (coolest resort by far) at some random bar and began our bar crawl down the strip (I will post pictures once I get them from my brother). We hit up New York New York, Cosmo, Paris, the MGM and a bunch of random liqueur carts. I drank beers in the street. I took jello shots on the side walk. I even did Irish Car Bombs in front of a Lion Exhibit in the MGM - I completely understand how Vegas is Disney for adults. On the walk home, we even stopped at a random liqueur store and bought some champagne to drink.

Yes - I was toasted the whole day, especially by the time we got back to our hotel room.

What'd we do next? Go out again of course!

While at the MGM some promoter found us so we were suckered into ANOTHER night of VIP and bottle service - this time at the Bank at the Bellagio. It was more expensive, but worth it (Jet still is #1 for me, so go there if you ever make it to Vegas). We had a blast - dancing, laughing, causing a ruckus.

I woke up @ 8am fully clothed, on top of my bed, contacts still in, shoes still on - with no recollection of how I got there. Rob was at least under his sheets.

We slept until 10:45am when I woke rob up, told him we had to check out by 11 - so we threw all our shit together and bolted.

I said my goodbyes to my brother and his friends, and away we went (not before I gorged myself in Taco Bell on the boarder of Nevada and California).

So how did we play Vegas right? We had a fly hotel room, we spent WAY too much money, we had an insane amount of fun, and we were drunk more than we were sober (while in Vegas - never in the car or on the road).

And to add to the fun, I got to see my brother after 6 months - which felt weird since it was on the other side of the country from where he calls home, in the middle of a desert.

Oh god...Vegas really is magical.

I can't wait to do it again in a couple months.

(And yes, this is a politically correct telling  of the story - ask separately for more nitty gritty).