1st Trip to Vegas

If you follow me on social media at all, you saw a lot of bitching about my work trip to Vegas last week. First of all, my apologies for complaining so much. If there is one thing I'm good at, it's that. I prefer to not call it complaining and refer to it as "factual information that can often sound a bit negative". 

For something like, 22 years, our industry trade show has been held in Vegas. For something like, 14 years, I've been in this industry in one way or another with the majority of that time being in some sort of management position. For EXACTLY like, ZERO years, I've gone to this show. Until 2017: the final year Interbike is in Vegas. The year almost everyone was frustrated, burnt out, flat out NOT GOING. 

Still, I was excited. Better late than never, right? I was going to take advantage of it and I feel I did. I had several goals going into my week in Vegas:

1. See new product: ACCOMPLISHED

2. Network with other shops and industry leaders: ACCOMPLISHED

3. Catch up with old friends: DEFINITELY ACCOMPLISHED (this may have been my favorite part!)

There are several things I also accomplished in Vegas that were most definitely not on the above list.

1. Getting lost. Everywhere. All of the time. Starting with walking by the lobby check in desk and getting lost in a casino, bringing me to tears and a phone call to said front desk for directions BACK to that very same front desk. Thank GOD for a friend who basically showed me the "dumb girl" way to getting around these monstrosities: follow the walls and remember landmarks. Had it not been for this advice (and and actual walk to show me examples) I'd be in the fetal position behind a nickle slot in the MGM by now.

2. Spend all the money. All of it. Because these bitches will charge you if you OPEN YOUR MINI BAR. There are sensors, y'all, that tell a man when you open your fridge. I was just checking to see if that tiny bottle of Veuve Clicquot that they were going to charge $75 for was laced in gold. Spoiler alert: it wasn't. I was shocked that everything was not only expensive, but that they charged an insane amount of money for literally everything...can't even get a free cup of coffee in that place. And please don't tell me that there are free drinks when you gamble. I don't gamble and if I did, the penny slots don't see frequent passes by cocktail waitresses.

3. Smell like an ashtray. And get lung disease. I laughed out loud when the check in guy told me the hotel was smoke free. Um...my room may be, but what good does that do when I step off the elevator and am immersed in a cloud of smoke? 

4. DO ALL OF THE PEOPLE WATCHING. One of the other best parts! I saw it all. The old guys with "ladies of the night". Desperate girls in insane outfits trying to get free drinks (less is not more in Vegas, apparently.). The foreigners who were told to come visit here and clearly in shock as to what they agreed to. Neck tats and tank tops and 80's hair. Good stuff, y'all.

5. The pace in which I walk is not conducive to tourists stopping with no regard to anyone around them. Look, I can't blame them (I did anyway) because almost everyone did it. Everyone. Bitch, I have somewhere to be and it's, like, a mile away and I am not calling a cab because that is expensive (see part 2, no. 2), I also have to stay along this wall and cannot detour, so get out of the way! (see part 2, no. 1).

I accomplished a lot (CLEARLY!) and really am glad I got to go. I'm not sure I'd choose this place as a vacation spot ever, but I won't say I'll never go back. Since I'm into new adventures and experiences, I got plenty of both in Vegas.