Hello again! Welcome back to the last post on Las Vegas until I get the chance to go back. A year from me beginning this draft (October 1), my mom and I were on our way out there for the first time! I cherish the memories made and thank God for them.

I have a couple more travel experiences to recap so let’s go ahead and get into this last recap of Vegas. Catch up on parts one and two here; we’ll be picking up where part two left off—getting ready to go out for dinner at Gilley’s (I misspelled it in the previous post) followed by Luke Bryan’s concert at Resorts World our relative, Aimee, bought us all tickets to! In addition to this, we had a late flight home the next day, so we were able to continue exploring the Strip with Aimee. At the end, I like to share my usual debrief with lessons learned from the trip, everything I bought, and I wanted to share some of the things still on my bucket list to do in Vegas now that I’ve been there twice and gotten familiar with all the city has to offer.

Day 2 Continued: Eating at Gilley’s, Luke Bryan Concert, Our Last Day On the Strip & More

Getting Ready for Dinner

In the last post, we just came back to the hotel, and we didn’t have a ton of time before our reservation at Gilley’s. Kir and I both had different attire we wanted to wear for the concert, and seeing as it’s country, I brought my denim button-down shirt. Now the brown sherpa fits in! A good thing, too, because I took it off to take pictures and that’s about it. Kir wore a super cute black pearl shirt over a cami.

Gilley’s was right by Treasure Island, which is the next hotel down from the Mirage closer to the side of the Strip with the Stratosphere and Resorts World, where the concert was. I was excited to eat again and see what the restaurant was like! We took a quick peek inside when we made reservations earlier in the day.

One last time on the Strip at sunset!

Dinner at Gilley’s

We liked that Gilley’s was also country themed, perfect to set the mood before the concert! Aimee was going to meet us here and we’d walk over to Resorts World together.

The ship by Treasure Island was all lit up!

When we entered the restaurant, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect because I thought I saw posters earlier in the day of made-up girls wearing skanky cowboy outfits, so I wasn’t sure if that was going to be the vibe, but thankfully, it wasn’t; the bar and seating area were to the left of the entrance, and then to the right, they had a mechanical bull and a dance floor where they have concerts. It was dark and moody inside, and we sat at a table right by the windows, so we had awesome views of the Strip!

Here’s the menu. I went with the “Southern-Style Chicken Tenders” without any hot sauce for $18…

Kir asked what they do for birthdays, and I forget what the other option was, but she got to ride the mechanical bull for free once, so we were going to do that after eating!

Here are my lovely tenders. They were good, and I got more than I thought I would, so I was happy about it. Kir and Corrine got barbecue pulled pork sandwiches!

I think they shared since it was so big.

Aimee joined not too long into our meal, and I think she took this picture for us! Her husband, a pilot, came home that day from a long flight, so she was with her family most of the day, and we couldn’t wait for the concert! She’d been wanting to see Luke Bryan at his Resorts World residency for a while but said she didn’t know who she’d go with, so when she heard we were coming out, it was the perfect time to see him because he only had one more show after ours! Lots of prominent artists have residencies with the hotels, like Adele had one with Caesar’s Palace, and I think Carrie Underwood was going to have one, too.

Kir then attempted to eat her huge sandwich, which I also recorded! They liked it.

After that, Kir rode the mechanical bull! She did pretty good, but she didn’t put her arm out like you’re supposed to do. I have it all on video, too.

We got a nice picture with Aimee before leaving for the concert!

Walking to Resorts World

I wanted some pictures in front of the Wynn hotels all lit up. This is a nice photo where my sherpa jacket is literally making me look pregnant.

This one is a little better haha.

The Sphere!!

An Incredibly Expensive Restroom Stop

As you remember from the last post, Fashion Show Mall is the next spot on the Strip down from Treasure Island going towards Resorts World. We went in there quick so Corrine could use the bathroom beforehand. You’ll also remember I’ve been teasing a ridiculous purchase I made, and here’s where it happened. When we went in there, we ended up in a different place than where we’d been before, and immediately, a Beach Bunny store stole my attention. I just heard of Beach Bunny the previous summer—they’re another high-end, specialized swimwear store with super girly, elaborately designed bikinis. I bought one that went on major clearance that summer, a Barbie pink with shimmery fabric, but I didn’t know they had actual stores, and of course Iowa wouldn’t have one, so I dragged Kir inside with me to check it out quick.

Right when we walked in…I stopped dead in my tracks. This is how I want it to feel when I meet my future husband—when something captivates your attention in less than a second, and your entire being knows this was made for you. Yep, that’s what happened when I saw this swimsuit. All my common sense and brain cells were pushed out by the adrenaline rush of love and infatuation. Part of their Valentine’s collection you’ll remember I love when stores release, is this not ME in a suit? Delicate pink lace over a classy white string bikini, with ROSE GOLD RHINESTONE HEART embellishments?! And that’s when you know…you’re screwed. Your life is ruined; you can’t leave without it.

I checked the price on both the top and the bottom. It was painful, so painful, because I knew the war was lost, and the top itself cost double what I’d normally spend on a regular shirt or pair of jeans. So I walked around a bit, exploring the store…I may have brought the top with me…and I looked at some of their other suits on clearance, like this black set with rhinestones on it. As attractive as that was, I knew it couldn’t compare with this girly pink beauty. And because it was a new Valentine’s Day set, I knew it wouldn’t be on sale, but that didn’t stop me from asking the nice girl at the register if they had any sales or promotions going on (they didn’t). So Kir and I walked back to the suit, I picked out the rest, and I told Kir to look/walk away as I shamefully walked to the counter, ignoring every brain cell in my body. Kir kept asking if I was actually going to buy it and how much it cost in a hushed tone… I just smiled and said yep. Hey! When something is made for you, what are you gonna do? You don’t have a choice.

Despite willfully ignoring logic, I like to think there were some rational explanations for why I went through with this. For instance, ever since going to Vegas and seeing all the designer stores with my mom, including a $5700 sparkling Prada bag, I wanted to and even planned on splurging on something I wouldn’t otherwise buy back home. I never really did, though, because a $5700 splurge was just out of the question, and so was almost everything else. Now on this trip, I’d also been very well-behaved and tame with my money. Then, that morning at Victoria’s Secret, I’d been overwhelmed by all their Valentine’s stuff, but I told myself not to buy any of it except for the underwear since it’s ridiculous to pay full price for their stuff when they’ll have sales, and I didn’t need any of it, anyway. So I was vulnerable…and I caved.

Now, when I tell you how much it cost, bear in mind this is to date the most expensive fashion item I’ve ever bought, and I won’t be making a habit out of it. It’s ridiculous and even if I have money to burn, I have a moral obligation to do more than buy expensive crap with it for myself. Do I regret buying this swimsuit? No, it’s too pretty. Would I spend the same amount again? No freaking way. It was my one “when in Vegas…” crazy moment. Could I afford it? No, not really. I’m still experiencing the repercussions of this. The top was $148. Overall, I spent more than $300 on a bikini I’ll probably only ever wear on my honeymoon because it’s too skimpy for anywhere else in public. Oh, it will be so sad if I don’t get married, but it’s probably what I deserve for being so careless.

Anyway…there she is! (Not Kir’s hand checking the price, hahaha.)

Me standing on the cliff of imminent self-ruin with my head spinning as I jump right off. It made my night, though.

I got a pretty Beach Bunny bag to commemorate it, too! I’ll be like Mom with our $60 cup from Wahlburger’s she said we got and say this is my $300 bag…

On to Resorts World

I hadn’t heard about Resorts World prior to this concert, though Aimee filled us in a little bit. It’s one of the newer hotels on the Strip, and I think it actually is comprised of several hotel brands in one, like Hilton and others. I did some research on it after our trip, which we’ll get to at the end. I was super excited to experience it! This is the farthest we’d ventured down this side of the Strip!

Okay, I told you all that I learned Encore and Wynn are more of the “ritzy money” hotels in this area. I knew because they were by far the most expensive to book when I was researching hotels for my mom and myself, and then Beth from Yellowstone, the daughter of that rich, crazy ranch family, talked about booking a suite in the Wynn. As we walked by, I tried to glimpse as much inside the rooms as I could. They look nice and romantic! And expensive! We also saw this cute beach club area because they have a club pool and everything, too, but we couldn’t see the actual pool from the Strip.

Ahhh…and there must be the suites in the center with those huge panoramic views and chandeliers in the center… You wouldn’t have as much of a view out here facing this direction except for the mountains, which I’m sure would still be fantastic.

There was a stretch between the hotels that was kind of sketchy. It was hard to see over the concrete/chain-link fence on the side; I don’t know if they were doing construction between hotels or what, but during this area, they had TONS of sequential missing persons posters, and I think all of them were children or minors. That was eerie, to say the least, and I heard Las Vegas is one of the top cities for human trafficking. Aimee told us this part of the Strip, especially even farther down like between Resorts World and the Stratosphere, isn’t very safe, and my research confirmed that. She said it’s older and supposedly there’s a lot of gang activity down there. Kir and Corrine stayed in the Stratosphere when they were driving out to Los Angeles, and they said they never ventured far from the hotel. Kir didn’t really like it there, though, she said. I’d still like to check it out sometime, but if it’s not in a good area, maybe I wouldn’t. I’m glad Mom and I never made it down there on our own, anyway.

This picture shows a little more of that older, cheaper side of the Strip with its sketchier stores.

We made it to Resorts World safely. I’d been looking forward to this concert. I wouldn’t consider myself an avid Luke Bryan fan; he used to annoy me with his “bro” country and how much people used to fangirl over him. As I got more into country over the years, he released more thoughtful songs I liked, and I do have several of his songs in my playlist. My absolute favorite is “Down to One,” a newer one. Others I like are “Waves,” “Up,” “Home Alone Tonight,” and “Someone Else Calling You Baby.”

Resorts World and Luke Bryan Concert

It looked super nice from the start!

Here we are walking in, Kir with her sash still in place and me with my bag of money!

Look at these huge, fancy escalators above us!

They have a Sphere of their own!

Lookie here…a souvenir from the F1 race…

They had these lights casting color over the entire hotel and changing to every color of the rainbow every few seconds! You could definitely see the newness. This Sphere also rotated and changed what it showed!

This was super neat up close, like a giant disco ball!

I loved the cherry blossom flowers display!

There were still a lot of people exploring the hotel. We didn’t see many concertgoers until we got over to the spot where it was taking place. I can’t remember if before or after the concert we peeked in at one of the hotel shops, and I found a rack of FRANKIE’S Bikinis, another high-end swimwear place I’ve wanted to try! It was a good thing they didn’t have much because I didn’t need to spend hundreds of dollars more on another swimsuit.

Luke Bryan made an appearance on the Sphere!

I loved when everything turned pink!

Once we got over to the Resorts World Theatre where the concert was, we saw many more people getting checked in! I found out I’d have to store my Beach Bunny bag somewhere, but they had places for it. You can imagine my apprehension about that!

We kept trying to get photos by the Luke Bryan displays around, and Aimee was so kind and bought us drinks!! I just wanted some luxury water.

This theatre was nice and big! We were up one balcony from the closest seats, and we had a great view.

We came down to this little nook between the first rows of our balcony; it was perfect for a picture showcasing his name! But then an usher yelled at us. That’s right—somehow, even this was a violation of traffic and people moving in and out. We were only there for a couple seconds, and we got the picture, at least. We saw many more people go down there to take pictures before the concert started that didn’t get yelled at.

The pyrotechnical displays, along with all the other stage graphics and lighting, were very cool and fitting for each of his songs. He came out singing “That’s My Kind of Night.” Everyone stood up for a while, of course, but it was fun recording snippets of his popular songs and my favorites.

The above photo is zoomed in, but the bottom one isn’t too much, so we still had a good view of Luke! It was pretty cool to be in the same room with him, since he is such an iconic country figure!

I was very impressed with him! All of his songs live sounded really good, as good as on the radio, and I actually ended up adding more of them to my playlist, even the cheesy ones like “But I Got a Beer In My Hand” (I don’t, I hate beer). Of course, people in the front row got to high-five him and take selfies with him, but I’m sure front-row seats cost a fortune, and I’m not a fangirl of his, so I didn’t feel like I missed out.

When he sang “One Margarita” here, a song I think is fun and catchy but isn’t my favorite, he had some cool, fun dance moves, and he’s holding a giant margarita he gave to someone in the first row!!

While this was a concert, it was also a “show,” which Kir was hesitant about because she didn’t know if he’d be talking constantly, but it was a great balance. He talked for a couple minutes and was joking with some people in the crowd; it was fun. Then he sang “Knockin’ Boots,” another song I kinda like, before “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset,” which is the gorgeous set below. I like that song; it reminds me of ‘Boji, even though I’ve never had the luxury of being on a boat all day out there.

He laid down on the stage to take a selfie with someone while he was singing!! I could never. This was the stage for “Roller Coaster,” one of my favorites as well. The music leading up to it was so good. I’m so glad I recorded the whole song.

The stage was so cool when he sang “Waves,” too! I love that song.

With his humor, he seemed pretty down-to-earth and funny! He’s definitely charismatic, though quite crude at times, which didn’t surprise me. He’d talk for a couple minutes in between songs, and he’d even try to play some other artists’ songs for fun. He told a story about how he was always mad because with every concert he went to, they never played all their hits, and he was going to do a medley of his like many artists do. I got to hear “Someone Else Calling You Baby,” “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye,” “Drunk On You,” “Move” (even more of a jam in person!!), and “Drink a Beer” (such a sad song). Then, we wondered if this little aisle-stage thing in front of us moved up, and it did, so he was able to sing in front of every balcony!

The thing was held up by suspension cables of some sort, so he ended up going way above us and could walk in front of the whole auditorium!

He did sing “Down to One” as part of his medley, so I enjoyed that. Overall, I thought this was an excellent concert! I would see him again, honestly; I like enough of his songs, and he has a great voice. I was ready for it to be done, though. It was the perfect amount of time. I can’t thank Aimee enough for buying us tickets!! I think it was one of my favorite concerts!

Boy, was it a mass exodus getting out of there! Pictures don’t do it justice, but I have videos. I think overall, we still got out of there at a decent time. They had a lovely reception area where I was able to give someone my Beach Bunny bag behind the counter, and they had storage for it. I didn’t have to pay, either. When I went to Morgan Wallen this past summer, I had to pay $15 to put my purse in a truck…and Kir paid it for me, bless her heart. It was my fault I didn’t read their bag policy, but I still thought it was stupid.

We got to take in several of the hotel restaurants, shops, and casinos on our way!

There was a big line for one of their clubs you could kind of see from the entrance; it looked dark and smoky. Kir doesn’t like clubs, and I haven’t been to one yet. I probably wouldn’t like them…more on that in Nashville.

The Sphere smiled at us as we left!

Walking back, I mentioned the Wynn hotel and how I wanted to check it out with my mom—I even had a luxury breakfast place I wanted us to go to there but figured one luxury meal for the trip was enough. We ended up deciding kind of last-minute to check it out because they also have some cool fairy/garden structures inside reminiscent of the Bellagio’s conservatory. I’m glad we did!

Walking the Strip to the Wynn Hotel

We walked on that side of the street, and I was very impressed by their entrance! The palm trees and their golden glow!

We got to walk by their beach club area, and I loved the view by the entrance, too, and had to get some pictures!

You had me at fairy lights in the trees…this is what I’m doing for my wedding someday.

We had a great view of Fashion Show Mall, Gilley’s, and Treasure Island from this side!

This right here is my wedding aesthetic. Then, when we saw the waterfalls around the entrance…I was dead. I’m thinking of doing something like this at a resort with fairy lights all over.

Kir took this awesome pic!

See, this is a beautiful fairycore, ethereal, heavenly vibe. When I binged Twilight last fall, I started moving away from the idea of a beach wedding. That series has so much nostalgia for me; it’s where I learned about romance, love, and sex (don’t worry, the Bible evened it out). At the end of the first movie, they’re at a beautiful ballroom setting in a gazebo with all these golden lights, and I love that scene and think that would be so much better suited to me. I have no nostalgia of beaches; I’ve never even been to one, but that’s finally going to change this winter! Anyway, Edward and Bella’s wedding was also beautiful with a similar vibe but in a forest. I don’t think I can go full forest, but this is the perfect balance: fairy lights bringing that nature, garden setting at a resort bringing some of the city and beach vibes. I know, you probably think I’m pathetic…I’ve got the whole wedding planned but still haven’t been on a single date!

Inside the Wynn Hotel

They have designer stores in here, too! I’m bummed they were closed because they have a GIVENCHY! I really want their classic bag in pink. As far as pricing goes for designer, they’re not TOO too bad, like a couple grand for a bag. I still could never pay that much for it, but I like to dream. I saw this gorgeous display in the window! I still like the Prada rhinestone bag better, though.

Speaking of which…here’s me trying to shop from the outside.

I had to recreate my chugging a drink in front of designer stores photo!

This ceiling was so awesome!

Here’s their awesome little conservatory area! All the flowers and details of this, from the carousel to the trees, took my breath away. I’m so glad we stopped to see it!

Me not knowing how to pose so I look stoned again…

Being paparazzi for Kir!

The flowers add such beautiful pops of color.

There was a Chanel here, too, and I saw this dazzling bag in the display! As gorgeous as it is, I don’t think I could buy it because the sequins are multicolored, and honestly, sequins aren’t comfortable, I’ve learned. I absolutely love the look of them, but I’ve had to give away several pieces in my wardrobe because they scratch against me and just aren’t comfortable. Rhinestones are my favorite; they’re pretty unobtrusive and sparkle the best, in my opinion.

This was right outside the little conservatory area, and these ornate lanterns cascaded up and down as if in a dance!

There was an absolutely enchanting view out that window I have on video of a waterfall and a neat convention area with a view of their pond. Everything about this hotel oozes luxury and glamour. I loved it.

On our way out, we passed the stores again, and I LOVED the giant ornament displays! Getting in to visual merchandising would be fun, but I don’t think I’d love the details that go along with setting that all up. I still love branding and design as a whole, though, and will never stop learning about or practicing it. I kinda love that classy white and gold Prada bag, too.

Going Home

We went on a neat escalator on our way back to the parking garage, and I saw this Captain America sign somewhere along the way. I’ve never been a fan of Chris Evans and still really am not, but he was cute as Steve Rogers!

I got to admire this beautiful suit when I got home, the most luxury I could (not really) afford. I’m very excited to wear it someday. I know people will probably make fun of me for this, but it does fill me with excitement and confidence waiting for the right guy to share all this with him, and that’s something I want to talk about much more. It’s such an ugly world with how people “date” right now, but you must have hope and believe God will bring someone special to you regardless of what all the people who settle for less say. This society really makes you feel like you’re only worth as many people as you can “be with,” but don’t fall for that crap. God has made you a special, unique individual; only someone who’s healthy and rooted in Him should fill that role in your life.

We had fun debriefing back in the room. I recorded Kir mispronouncing words and shared some times when I’ve done that; it’s so fun laughing and creating memories like that. I didn’t have to shower, so I got to go to bed with everyone else, and we fell asleep to the beautiful, soothing glow and crackling of the fireplace channel.

Day 3: Last Day on the Strip, Good Food, Flying Home & More

Waking Up and Getting Gelato at the Mirage

Well, there’s always a sense of somberness on the last day of a wonderful trip. It goes so fast! We had to check out of our hotel by 11, I believe, but our flight wasn’t till around four or five, I think. Aimee, once again, was so kind and let us spend the day with her, allowing us to haul our stuff around in her car until she dropped us off at the airport. This trip wouldn’t have been so special without her! I miss you so much, Aimee! We can’t wait to hopefully come out again very soon and visit!!

Anyway, right around 11, we stopped at the gelato place! I’ve had gelato at school, and I like it; I really can’t tell much of a difference from regular ice cream, although I think I prefer gelato the slightest bit. I forget what the exact flavor was I got; they have so many! Obviously, it was something chocolate, and I want to say maybe nutella? It was really good and the perfect size! Wonderful breakfast.

Also, as you can see, we came home with more crap than when we started! I already paid to check my bag and so did Kir, but we thought we’d put our purses in these smaller bags to fit them under our seats as our personal item.

Leaving the Hotel

Aimee came to pick us up! I don’t know what we would have done without her. This is our last time seeing this side of the Strip!

Also, to address the elephant in the room, yes, I was wearing a big winter coat. I think it was Aimee’s again! It was the coldest day there, high 40s to low 50s, but the sun wasn’t out. Aimee said a big cold front was coming through after we left!

The Flamingo looked GORRRRGEOUS as we drove by!!

I am really happy with all the hotels I’ve stayed at here. Flamingo was definitely perfect for Mom and me, and the three of us loved the Mirage, too.

First Stop: Secret Pizza for Lunch

We parked in the garage by the Cosmopolitan to eat there at Secret Pizza we discovered the previous day!

It was a really cute place, almost like a tiny café, and the pizza slices were huge!

We ate on that floor where it was quiet, and they had several chairs and lounge areas. I stuck with cheese pizza, and I liked it! I don’t remember it being outstanding, but it was still good.

The Cosmopolitan is a neat hotel—very different and kind of quirky, but there are some cool sights.

On our way back to the car, we walked by these virtually animated pillars with this zebra walking through, and I liked that!

Walking, Shopping, and New York Hotel

We actually went out a different entrance, I believe, and headed on foot to the New York hotel, stopping several times on the way. There was another high-end designer mall right by the Cosmopolitan, Crystals, we briefly went in, and then they had a Ross store, which I’d never heard of before. Kir told me they’re like a TJ Maxx with discounts on brand name items. I didn’t find anything except these adorable shoes for a little girl I want myself! It’s interesting how this store, which reminded me of a Goodwill, can be juxtaposed by this super rich mall nearby. I think Kir or Corrine found some stuff they liked.

We went into a Louis Vuitton store briefly at Crystals. They had these adorable, though entirely impractical, mini purses next to their regular ones! Kir didn’t believe me when I said even those would still be like a thousand dollars. I think they were 800. Yep, the kind of ridiculous, useless crap people with money to blow can collect. I mean they’re cute, don’t get me wrong, but probably all you could fit in them are coins!

We passed some interesting things on our way to New York, like this huge chicken outside of the Crack Shack wearing a Vegas Golden Knights hockey jersey!

Kir and I walked arm in arm because of how cold I was. We also passed an older guy dressed up like Elvis on one of those riding scooter things! Corrine thought that was so cool and took a picture of him. I would post it but I don’t want to necessarily expose him without permission, haha.

Hello Kitty Café

We finally made it to the Hello Kitty Café by New York! Unfortunately, it was a lot busier than when my mom and I went; we had to wait in line for a decent amount of time, and I remember it being windy, so I was freezing. It ended up being worth the wait, though. It’s such a cute little place.

When it was finally our turn, I was so tempted by all the cute merchandise once again. I didn’t buy any new clothing since I bought that the last time I was here, but I did buy an adorable coin bank! I know, the last thing I needed, but when you see the picture, you’ll agree I had to have it. I also bought a sugar Hello Kitty cookie. Kir and Aimee got some coffee or smoothie drinks. They took this cute picture; I loved the Hello Kitty straw they gave Aimee!

Here are the goods, including these precious souvenir napkins. We went inside New York after that; I really wanted to try this Reese’s brownie dessert inside their museum there.

Inside New York Hotel

We went inside Hershey’s Chocolate World, the big museum with all the Hershey’s and Reese’s candies and merchandise. I found my brownie! I ate it right away after buying it while we were still wandering in there. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as good as it looked. It wasn’t bad, but I’d been looking forward to it all morning after seeing it in one of our Las Vegas magazines provided by the hotel. I think maybe if they had been more fresh and gooey, like having just come out of the oven, it would have been better.

They had these GIGANTIC syrup bottles! I don’t know if you can even see the scale in this photo, but they were longer than my head.

The Statue of Liberty

I can only imagine how it would feel to see the real Statue of Liberty if this is already so awesome! We walked out here to get pictures by it before walking back towards the car.

Other Sights Along the Strip

We got pictures by this cute entrance for the Hershey’s Chocolate World Museum! They had some cute photo ops!

Look at the tiny Vegas sign they even have!! This place is made for tourists.

We cut back in through Crystals.

We all thought this pink Cadillac limo was pretty cool!

Going to In-N-Out

Well, time flies when you’re having fun, and it definitely goes faster than you think walking the Strip. In my head, it all seems so close together, but when you actually are there, it just keeps going. I was watching some of our videos, and even from going to the front of New York to the back, there were a whole bunch of things to explore. We were nearing that point, though, where we needed to get dinner and get ready to go to the airport so we could be there early enough to get checked in for our flight. I was ready, honestly. You hate for the fun to end, but you know at some point it has to, and then I just want to get it over with. I was SO excited to eat at In-N-Out again, too!

My dad called sometime while we were driving around, and I got to catch up with him and the fam. I missed them; it would be exciting to see them again, even though I was going to spend a few days with my grandparents before coming home since they’re not far out of the way. Here’s another close-up of the Rio hotel! It’s so huge.

In-N-Out was just as good as I remembered! I wanted to cry thinking about leaving it behind.

Going to the Airport

After that, it was time to head to the airport. We still had the car ride together, but we were very sad about saying goodbye to Aimee.

Wow, I wonder if that’s a room at the very top of New York. It would be cool to stay in one of those rooms at the top!

Goodbye to the Strip…

The airport isn’t too far from the Strip; you get a great view of it even as you’re leaving. I’m so thankful Aimee drove us; it looked quite complicated with each lane jetting off to different terminals. I wasn’t in Des Moines anymore!

Goodbye to the mountains, too…but doesn’t it look like winter is coming in? I’m glad we left when we did.

At the Las Vegas Airport

One of the saddest moments of the trip was telling Aimee goodbye! Once again, I can’t express how grateful we were to have her be part of our trip, and she is the sweetest person around. It’d been so long since I got to see her, and I pray it isn’t as long until the next time!! That’s the only good thing about social media, is at least we’ve been in touch and can follow each other’s lives still. We had to tell her goodbye here at the car, and when we walked in, it was definitely sad. Kir was near tears, but we cherished our time with her.

We got checked in, and Corrine went to the bathroom while we did so Kir got her ticket for her. That wasn’t as much of a hassle as going out there was. Checking our bags went fine, too, except we forgot some drinks in one of Corrine’s bags, so we had to throw them away. When we walked down to our gate, I saw this BEAUTIFUL sunset out the window!

A perfect sunset to end the trip!

This beautiful butterfly plane is so pretty!

When we headed down, I got pictures of all these historic Las Vegas landmarks. You probably can’t read them, but it was cool just to glance at.

Farewell to this cute bunny! I still remember Mom’s and my trauma rushing back and forth here.

Oh boy!!! Look what we saw walking by! I can’t remember if Kir made me get a picture or I wanted one, but…

I looked at my adorable cookie I had yet to eat while we sat down at our gate. I ate it later during the week I was at my grandpa and grandma’s, and it was a great sugar cookie! It was better than the brownie I really wanted at Hershey’s Chocolate World, and the branding is to die for.

The Plane Ride to Minneapolis

Corrine did a word search while we waited to board, which we thought was cute. I don’t remember waiting too long; I feel like everything moves faster on the way home, except for when I was dying when Mom and I came home… I was excited to see the lights again!

It was cool watching the planes land as we took off. The lights look so much cooler on video, which I have lots of. I don’t think we were on the right side to see the Strip, but I’m sure we flew right over it. Kir had the window seat on the way home and took some great pictures, too. We did fly right over an extraordinarily bright street, so that had to be it, but I couldn’t make out distinct hotel buildings very much. We had some turbulence as we took off, too, which freaked Kir out, but it was okay.

This is the road I’m talking about.

I love the stars in the night sky above the cloud like this. We had some good laughs as Corrine was trying to sleep again, and her hand on her phone made the homescreen apps “dance” like they do when you want to remove an app on an iPhone, so we feared she was going to accidentally delete a bunch of apps!

The clouds over the lights were beautiful.

When we landed in Minneapolis, it was almost midnight, if the timezone on my photos is correct, but I knew it was late. I couldn’t believe how dead the airport was, though! All the shops were closed and hardly anyone was around working. We didn’t even see that many people besides ourselves! I didn’t know airports “closed” like that. I guess it makes sense, but there are flights at all times of the day, and it was super busy at four a.m.!!

We had to stop for one last photo op…

Going Home

Kir’s boyfriend gave us a ride from the airport back to their house, where we’d spend the night before I drove to Estherville. It was softly snowing and freezing when we got back! We had to wait at the airport for a bit, and then we wanted to get a midnight snack at McDonald’s, the only place open, in their neighborhood.

We got some nice views of skyscrapers on the way home, and the food did not disappoint.

After the Trip

I know, I know, this post is long enough without detailing every second afterwards, but I just wanted to share two more quick things: we all went to this cute little breakfast diner in Shakopee, I think, which was wonderful and filling, and then we spent most of the day on a wild goose chase trying to return Kir’s camera she bought for the trip that had been broken into. We went to two different Walmarts before having to go back to the one it originally came from, which was humorous to no one but me. I just enjoyed the heated seats in her car.

The rose gold buildings looked especially pink in the winter! I made it safely to my grandparents’ house that evening, even though it got pitch dark halfway through the drive. It was the most tired I’ve ever been while driving, but I made it, thank God, and enjoyed some special time with them before coming home. I praise God for it all!

Trip Debrief

Alright, as promised, I wanted to share three more things in regards to the trip: what I’d still like to check out in Vegas (so you can be inspired, too!), everything I bought (you already saw the bikini…this will be the Vegas merch), and my usual reflection as a whole and what it taught me about life and my faith. I’ll try to keep it brief and concise, but you know me, I like to be detailed.

My Las Vegas Bucket List: What I’d Still Like to Do

• Go to Exotics Racing—this is where you can drive a sports car!! I wouldn’t mind driving a Ferrari or Lamborghini ’cause I’ll certainly never own one.
• Try a pool club and stay in a suite at the Wynn/Encore—I’d probably hate it, but it’s more for the beautiful pools than anything. I’d love to try the one with the Encore/Wynn and have a luxurious staycation there in one of the suites. Yes, I’m aware we’d need some money for that, but maybe someday. This hotel looks so romantic and luxurious; I see why everyone with money goes here. I’d like to try some of the restaurants, too. The Cromwell also has a nice-looking club pool, but the hotel itself doesn’t look like somewhere I’d want to stay. It’s right across from the Flamingo. I’d probably prefer the Wynn’s club. I wasn’t 21 when I went out, so I’d like to see what that scene is like, not to drink but just to explore it.
• Stay in Crockfords Las Vegas, the new hotel we saw on the Strip—this is a really nice, upscale hotel with SO many pools and things to offer! I’m not a huge fan of its location on the Strip, but this would be a good one to have a “staycation” in like the Wynn. They have these elaborate (and probably VERRRY expensive) “villa” rooms with a pool between them of their own, and they remind me of a Sandals resort. Although in all honesty, it’d probably be cheaper and more worthwhile to just go to a Sandals resort at that rate.
• Go to Valley of Fire—this is not too far from Vegas (a lot closer than the Grand Canyon!) and has the most beautiful views of rock formations around the area. Very different from the types of rocks you see in Iowa! When I go back, I definitely need to make this trip.
• Go back to the Grand Canyon—not entirely Vegas related but I associate it with Vegas since it’s not too far when you’re out there. I’d like to do MUCH more here, from exploring more trails to finding a way to the bottom!! Ken Ham from Answers in Genesis does water rafts at the bottom, I believe, which I think would be fun as long as you don’t tip and die. I’m even tempted to take a mule down to the bottom, but I don’t know if I’d trust that or not! I’d like to tour the west rim and go on the overlook there, and I’d like to actually stop at the Hoover Dam the next time out (the west rim tour would have, but we went to the south side).
• Go to the pool at Mandalay Bay with real sand and WAVES—you want to know my newest obsession I found this summer? WAVE POOLS! My friend and I went to the water park in Adventureland and they had one, and I didn’t know what I’d think, but I absolutely adored it. I’ve been talking about going to one again ever since. I even like how it sounds—wave pool. And Mandalay Bay has the actual sand to go with it!
• Swim in the Tank at the Golden Nugget downtown—this is in the “old Las Vegas,” and they have a slide that goes through a shark aquarium! I seriously considered staying here my first time out, but I’m so glad we didn’t because we wouldn’t have been anywhere near the Strip.
• Go back to the Flamingo pool now that I’m 21!!! If you know, you know.
• Go on a helicopter ride over the city—you see helicopters circling the Strip all the time, and I can’t imagine how incredible the views would be. My mom would never do it, though. And the other day, I came across this Facebook reel about a special helicopter service where you can join the mile high club. I don’t think I could ever do that, but it did look cute.
• Stay in numerous hotels on the Strip—here are some others on my list: MGM Grand (I heard they have an amazing pool complex!), Luxor Hotel and Casino (the pyramid!!!), Bellagio, Caesar’s Palace, ARIA Resort and Casino, The Venetian, The Cosmopolitan (maybe? I’ve heard their pools are fun, and they have great views!), Trump International (STELLAR city views!!), Stratosphere (just for the rides and view at the top), Waldorf Astoria (the most beautiful rooms and bathrooms!), Hilton Grand Vacations (another amazing pool complex!), and maybe more as I discover them! This is such a fun city, and you don’t have to sin!

And honestly, I’m sure there could be much, much more, but that’s it *for now*. Let me know what else you’d add!

What I Bought

Okay, here’s a mini haul of the Vegas merch (Victoria’s Secret and bikinis aside…gosh, that makes me sound like a skank hahaha) I mentioned throughout the post!

This was the t-shirt and hat bundle. I should’ve taken a picture of the shirt all rolled out. It’s a cute cursive font with big bubble letters in a light pink saying Las Vegas.

Here’s the pink hat it came with.

I love love LOVE this gorgeous hat I bought later on the first night!!! It’s me in a hat!!

I don’t remember where I bought this adorable magnet. I think maybe it was with the sequin hat?

I don’t remember where I bought this pretty necklance, either, but I think it was from our hotel since it’s dolphins. In hindsight, it’s a little big for the type of jewelry I normally wear, and I don’t really know what dolphins will match with, but I thought this was super cute. I’m still glad I got it.

And here’s the adorable Hello Kitty coin bank I bought!! It’s perfect for decor on my desk just as much as it is for holding my loose change.

What God Showed Me On This Trip

While I’ve been thinking about writing this and actually writing it, God laid two big themes on my heart that I took away from this trip…

Let life surprise you. When you’re going through hard seasons, it’s difficult to think positively about anything changing. But good things do and will happen again.

Why am I sharing this? Well, it’s no secret that there’s been a lot I’ve struggled with ever since middle school, really. I’ve written about it extensively on here. There have been so many things I’ve had to learn “the hard way” in that I’ve just had to suffer, make the wrong choices, and discover God’s faithfulness through it all. In middle and high school, I felt very alone, and most of the time, I was. I never had many friends, and I never underwent some of the “traditional” life milestones/rites of passage associated with that time of life, and it hurt me deeply. It really made me lose faith in a lot of things, and I didn’t want to be positive again because I felt like I had been, hoping my situation would change year by year, and it didn’t. So I decided to doubt everything—future success with jobs, finding friends or a guy, etc. It was hard not to get stuck in the victim mindset and feel like God was against me and withholding blessings from me.

I learned otherwise. That doesn’t mean I had a happy ending with all my loneliness—that didn’t really change and is something I still feel, though not to the same degree. I’ve learned a lot since then about what I really want out of life and what matters—again, a lot of times by sulking/experiencing what I thought I was missing out on and the like. God has been faithful in all of that, and He’s also been so kind to bless me with travel experiences I thought I would never get to have until settled into a career someday. To not only get to go on my dream trip with my mom but then to go BACK not even half a year later so affordably…was incredible. I did get a job; God did provide me with funds to get to do this.

In high school, people told me it wouldn’t define my life forever and things wouldn’t always be that way. At the time, though, I had no other season of life to compare it to, so I was afraid to believe that. Let me try to spare you some of the emotional anguish I went through for most of that time: just believe life will get better because it will. People aren’t kidding when they say life doesn’t stay the same forever, and that can be sad, but it can also be good. Don’t count out what God is doing in your life and all the future blessings He can bring because of how things look right now.

And a little note of caution: when you’re experiencing these gifts, be careful not to rely on them for happiness like society does.

Okay, maybe this sounds a bit confusing. After all, you want to enjoy the beautiful gifts God gives you, but then you’re not supposed to rely on them for happiness? When I say that, I’m talking about trying to plan a life full of “experiences” and “things” to make you happy. To be cliché—though this is something that can never be neglected—you don’t want to only focus on the gifts and blessings God gives and not Him Himself, or you’re going to miss the even bigger blessings He wants to give you. Trips and trinkets are good, but His presence and wisdom and love are better.

You’ve probably heard me mention some sort of phrase involving “dopamine,” like getting a dopamine high or rush. This is the hormone in your brain responsible for creating feelings of pleasure, activated by fun experiences or things or food or sex or whatever it may be associated with pleasure and happiness. And any of those things or a combination of them can be addictive, where you need more of them to achieve the same level of “hit” or reaction. I’ll probably talk about this much more because this society is a very addictive society; it is easy to pursue so much crap, even things that seem good.

Like trips! Oh my gosh, just look at Instagram and see how addicted people are to their “wanderlust.” Yeah, that’s exactly what it is—the lust for more, more, more. And I want to travel more, too! But it’s become the new cliché of things people do to find meaning and purpose in their life. Travel doesn’t give me meaning. God gives me meaning, and then He can use things like travel to show me how He does that. But travel itself could never deliver the desires of my heart.

This trip is a great example of the whole dopamine-addiction concept. I don’t mean anything bad by this, but it’s just a fact: when I went to Vegas the first time with my mom, everything was new to me. New and completely overwhelming in both good and bad ways, and I loved it. It was an experience and sequence of memories like no other. Then, I went back for a short weekend, having become much more familiar with the city and all it has to offer. We did a lot of things I’d already done before, along with some new things. I still had so much fun, but that level of novelty and remarkability wasn’t as heightened as before.

I like to think I’m a pretty content, grateful person who romanticizes and appreciates everything, so I still had fun, but to reach quite the same level of extraordinary my mom and I had, we probably would’ve had to go somewhere brand new or do things that were totally different and out of the box in Vegas. Why? Because it gets more common the more you visit! And that doesn’t mean you’re necessarily going to enjoy it less—it’s about mindset, but that’s why people say if you traveled all the time or had every day be this amazing day, they’d cease to be amazing because they’d become ordinary. And you can still find joy in the ordinary! Ordinary isn’t bad. I’m using this to highlight how society chases down the extraordinary, though, trying to get all these rushes, but the more you chase it, the more commonplace, dull, and repetitive they’re going to get. It won’t work long-term unless you can keep TOPPING what you did last, and eventually you’re going to reach the top, and then what?

As I finished writing this, something dawned on me. I was reading all these travel articles, which I enjoy doing for fun, and thinking about work again and money and when I’m going to be able to travel more, and I realized I was falling for the same traps many people do. This society thinks it’s moved away from materialism by focusing on travel and experiences and memories instead of buying a bunch of designer bags, but I disagree. Chasing travel and experiences can become just as materialistic as purchasing tons of designer bags. At the end of the day, these experiences might equate to a life full of nice memories, but are memories sustainable? Take this trip, for instance. I loved it, but it’s been 11 months already. I’ll always have good memories of it, but they’ve already faded in intensity. It comes and just like that, it goes. Life goes on. It can’t be that euphoric all the time, and if it were, the euphoria would become ordinary, and then you’d need something else to reach that state of euphoria. I’m not saying this to throw a wet towel on appreciating things in life—not at all, but I’m saying what gets you through life can’t be things OR experiences. You need something that builds on itself, not things that are here today, gone tomorrow. And only God and having a relationship with Him can give you that.

Alright, that’s the end of my Vegas journey for now! Thank you so, so much for following along however much you have. I want to add table of contents to my future travel posts so you can scroll through them a lot easier because NO, I don’t expect anyone to read every word of these. Thank you for allowing me to recap them, and hopefully somewhere along the way, you’ve been inspired, too. Get ready for my next trip recap, which will include much more faith content: Nashville, Tennessee for a Christian retreat! Be sure to leave a comment letting me know how you’re doing!