Viva Las Vegas!

Memorial Day weekend we left the Arctic for the desert! It was my bachelor party and Paige was meeting up with her mom. This was a nice getaway for many reasons; I got to see my brother for the first time in a year, hang out with some really great friends, and, well, it was a bachelor party in Las Vegas! Additionally it was only the second time Paige or I left the state since moving up last July!

Because of the distance and layovers we had to go through on our way, we left Kotzebue at 9pm mountain time on Friday and landed in Las Vegas at 9am on Saturday. I cannot even begin to describe how amazing it felt to be in Las Vegas. The sun hitting your skin and warming it was in stark contrast to the normal bitter cold wind that it had experienced in Kotzebue. Furthermore, I was once again in a city, surrounded by thousands of people to meet, events to see and places to explore. I was staying at New York New York and Paige at the Monte Carlo.

Once out of the airport I took a shower and started the weekend. Gambling, drinking and socializing. I love meeting new people and I don’t know that there is a better place to do that than Las Vegas, particularly if you are with the group of guys I was with! Later on that night we went to the MGM Grand and watched several UFC fights including the main event between Cain Valascez and Antonio Silva. The remainder of the night was spent socializing, drinking, and playing black jack. Bed came around 6am. 

The master mind behind our trip was Kelly. Kelly, is my younger brother and my best man. We grew up together in Montana, attended the same undergraduate university in Washington and we even both speak Chinese. He has recently graduated from American University with a Master’s degree in Conflict Resolution and works for the State Department. Last time I traveled with Kelly was to visit him in Macedonia while he was completing a Fulbright Scholarship. He is one of the most intelligent people I know and dedicates himself to his work. We are extremely good at feeding off of each other while harassing other members of our family or close friends. Most importantly he knows Paige well, has worked with her and attended the same college. They get along extremely well and has been beyond supportive of our relationship, the perfect choice for a best man.

So, 11am the next day it was up, slowly, for showers, some food and then off to the pool party. Ultimately we landed at Bare Pool at the Mirage. We met a pretty fun group of 9 girls from Florida while at the pool and spent the next seven hours drinking, swimming and socializing in the Nevada sun. My skin was loving the UV attention (and misses it already). Ben set us up with drinks, food and a place to lounge at Bare which ended up providing hours of entertainment that I will not forget. This was a perfect combination of good weather, friends and partying.

Ben was one of the first people I met in college and he might be the busiest person I know. He has run several marathons, including one with me in Denver, works as a Target Account Manager for Lexmark International and is a DJ as well. He has owned a marketing business, lived in France and done countless other things. We were in it thick and thin in college and to this day we make it a point to visit each other several times a year including a “big event.” He traveled with me to Macedonia, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Austria. Our big event for 2014 is the World Cup in June. He too knows Paige well and has never let me forget how lucky I am.

After Bare Pool we went to Twin Peaks for some food. On the way there Jon felt like it would be a great idea to swim in a water fountain, and he followed through with that thought. After some dinner we hit a couple “bachelor destinations” and the roller coaster around New York New York. We then made our way back to the hotel at the wee hours of the night. There was no point in going to bed just to wake up and catch a flight in a few hours so we headed to New York New York where we spent the rest of the night at the black jack tables and meeting some interesting people. Jon was my main blackjack buddy. 

Jon has been a close friend of mine as far back as memory serves me. He is close with my parents, my brother and Paige. We did everything growing up together and I consider him as much a brother as a friend. He served in the Marines traveling the world including a deployment in Iraq. He has recently graduated with a degree in Economics and Finance. Unfortunately he landed a sweet job in Denver after I moved away! If there is anyone that has your back, it will be Jon.

Anyway, Jon and I were sitting a blackjack table just the two of us losing our money (I was up several hundred for the weekend). When two girls sat down, one a bachelorette the other a bridesmaid. Our luck had turned and I had made all the money back I had lost at that table and then some (few hundred dollars). After some fun betting and convos, the girls left and we were prepared to cash out too…. The only thing was, this entire weekend I wanted to “put it all in” and “let it roll” (the idea came from a south park episode). So I did. I bet all of my winnings and Jon did too because that is what you do, you go down swinging with the bachelor. I saw my first card, a 6. Dang, I thought. Then my next card a 9. Crap was my next thought, dealer was showing a 10. I had to hit, and so I did. And just like that I lost it all! I am still laughing because I broke even at the end of the night. But defeat hurts. We ended up spending the rest of the evening socializing with some of the groups we met.

One of the funniest things I have ever witnessed was the scene at the Las Vegas airport at 7am. It was filled with silent, cranky, worn down individuals who resembled zombies more than anything. All weekend people were well dressed and groomed, this was not the case on the way out. And to think how energetic everyone was flying into town….Oh Vegas I can’t wait to see you again.