When In Vegas: Dancing Till The World Ends

Five friends and I embarked on a life-changing trip to Sin City. We realized very quickly just why people call it Sin City…

Day 1

After finishing all of my tasks for the week at work (YOU BETTER WORK, BITCH!), many car malfunctions (including my car hood opening while driving to the New Orleans airport… That was definitely awkward), multiple plane delays, including freak sleet storms and the coldest weather I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing ever experienced, and sitting next to the most awkward couple on my flight to Vegas (y’all, it was worse than my hood flying up while driving… It was THAT painful lol), we all finally arrived in the city that parties until dawn. Of course the first thing we do after putting our bags down is take out the alcohol and start drinking get ready to go out.

Side note: pregaming. It is VERY essential in the desert city where drinks are in the 15-20 dollar range. In addition to bringing your own alcohol, I suggest that you being some sort of loud speaker for which you can pump jams out while everyone gets ready. It definitely puts people in the mood and can add a more party atmosphere. And yes, I brought my Bose Soundbox with me, and yes, I believe it definitely made and difference in how the weekend went.

And go out we did. Going to one of the “best nightclubs in Vegas” (according to its tag line), we were ready to paint the town red and show those Vegas kids what it means to party in NOLA. So yes, we went HAM. I met a very interesting couple who were also from the South. These “kids” recently got engaged and came down to see the Britney show (just like me), so we hit it off immediately! They kept buying rounds and we just hung out by the pool drinking and getting to know each other. And then, out of the blue, one of them asks me if I party. And of course I naively reply, “Of course!” These two look at each other then back at me. “How about you come back to our hotel and we can smoke a bit and hang out.” And being the person I am, I said, “oh I don’t really smoke but thanks for the offer,” to which they replied, “oh wow so you really like to party then,” and then the guy pulled out a bag full of what I am hoping was detergent or sugar… And it finally dawned on me what they were talking about. So I politely declined and excused myself to join my friends at the bar. That type of partying is DEFINITELY NOT my scene.

But, between my best friend winning a club-wide “dance-off” competition and meeting cute strangers who wanted to get us all liquored up “wine and dine us,” my friends and I capped off a brilliant start to our Vegas adventures with new connections and quite the free bar tab.

Day 2

No trip to the West would be complete without a stop at one of my faves: In-N-Out. And in Kittu-eating fashion, I got animal-style everything. And I mean everything: fries, burger, the works. And I topped it all off with a chocolate milkshake. After this mammoth meal, my best friend and I decided to go explore old-Vegas. Something that intrigued me the most was that the city itself existed solely because it was a stopping point for trains traveling out to the opposite sides of the U.S. It started as an outpost where travelers could entertain themselves. Between the casinos and bordellos, Vegas made a name for itself by letting people indulge their vices. And old-Vegas is where it all began. So I was definitely interested in going to each part of this historic site that created such a cultural phenomenon of debauchery and Vegas becoming synonymous.

From here, we came back home to wake up the rest of the sleepyheads and get ready to see the best show everrrrrr: Britney, bitch! I made the girls get ready and come with me four hours before the show started so that we could ensure we get in the front of the general admission out. And I’m glad I did, because as soon as we got there, more and more people joined us in line to see the queen in all her glory. The line extended down almost a mile (obvi an exaggeration, but it was REALLY long). And the show itself was magnificent. Britney really brought it, with her live miming and pretty-much on-beat movements.In all seriousness, though, Britney killed it. Her dancing and singing lip-syncing were on-par and she did play most of the songs I wanted her to play… I mean, if she were to perform all of the songs I would want to see live, the show would go on for at least two more hours. I’m talking about classics like “Don’t Go Knockin’ (On My Door),” “Breathe On Me,” “Born To Make You Happy,” “Overprotected,” “Lonely,” “I Love Rock ‘N Roll,” “Showdown,” “I Got That (Boom Boom),” “(I’ve Just Begun) Havin’ My Fun,” “My Prerogative,” “Touch Of My Hand,” “Unusual You,” “Outrageous,” “Alien” (which she now performs at her show), “Tik Tik Boom,” “Passenger” and “Mona Lisa.” And yes, I know I added pretty much the equivalent of a whole other set list for her to perform, but damn it, I want to see her sing these songs! These are my jams, y’all! Overall, the show was great. At this point in time, I could not ask for more from by BritBrit, but I will always keep the hope up that she will one day pull off dance moves like she used to do over a decade ago. My hope is not lost!

From here, the girls in my group (in true Vegas fashion) were able to secure free cover and bottle service at multiple locations, giving our party a couple of choices when it came to #NightlyVegasAdventures. We ended up deciding to head over to the Mandalay Bay Hotel for a night at LIGHT, a place that incorporates Cirque du Soleil-style theatricals into the ambiance, giving the whole area a more fantastic feel. I mean, I wasn’t complaining: free cover, free drinks, A night out at a swanky club with some of my best friends, riding off of the high from the Britney show and having sensual (but tasteful) aerial feats occur before my eyes… I was in heaven. Toward the end, four of us split off to find the one thing that sounds the best when you’ve had a night of heavy partying on the town: foooooood. We ended up raiding some fast food joints on the strip and eating our food while walking on the strip. Very classy, I know, but it was so satisfying (and I didn’t spill any sauce on myself, so that’s a plus ;) )!

Day 3

Well, I woke up in the morning not feeling quite like P. Diddy, but close (more like how Ke$ha looked in the video at the beginning lol). My friends finally started to groggily step out of their slumber by brunch time, so we figured it would be the perfect day to explore the Strip even more and grab some bunch on the way. Between our many interesting shopping adventures and food adventures that day, I’m certain that we made our mark on Vegas culture that day (or at least Vegas made a mark on our bank accounts. There were too many extraneous purchases for me to recount on my bank statement. Thank god I had been saving up for this trip for a bit…). After a whole day of walking in the heat, though, we needed power naps. So, while two of my friends went to the Minus 5 (the frozen bar), the rest of us rested up for our “family dinner” and final night out.

I had made reservations at TAO to ensure that we would have options when we went out. Last time I went to Vegas, I discovered that if you dine at TAO Restaurant, they allow you into the club for free, and seeing as last time we partied with Nelly, celebrating both of our birthdays, I figured it would be a great night to start things when I initially made these Vegas plans back in September of 2013. Of course three days before I went to Vegas this time I remembered that a couple of my friends actually lived out in Vegas and used to promote parties there. One of my friends was gracious enough to put us on the list and make sure we didn’t have to pay cover at MARQUEE, one of the biggest clubs in Vegas. So now we had options: either TAO or MARQUEE to start off the night. Always one to try new things, I convinced everyone to try MARQUEE and then we could see where then night takes us. Once we got into MARQUEE, though, all bets were off. We were blown away by the space itself. From the outdoor pool area, to the dancehall inside, to the multiple bars located everywhere you wanted a drink, I was in bliss. Whether dancing our asses off and getting shots and drinks bought for us, all of us were having the time of our lives.

Then, to top it all off, one of my friends and I broke off from the group to venture to another club off the beaten path. This place was crawling with gorgeous people, many of whom I saw had just gotten out of the Britney Show that evening. Between running into old friends and talking to new, friendly faces, I was on my A-Game winging my butt off for my friends. Every insecure guy hated us. It was hilarious. But I managed to find some interesting people at the bar whom I had no qualms getting to know. These people were different from the rest; I could tell there was substance and character behind that nervous laugh or “trying to not seem too interested” look. And friends (and readers), what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas ;).

Day 4

There was not much to this one… We woke up, rushed to pack our things (except for me… I had already packed most of my stuff nicely lol), checked out of our hotel and then had one of the most robust brunches I’ve ever had in my life. I mean, the waitress just kept bringing dish after amazing dish of various Central American cuisine. I had died and gone to food heaven it was so good. After nearly going into a food coma (and gaining I’m sure thirty pounds), we picked up our bags from the hotel and made our way back to the airport.

Overall, the weekend was amazing; it was the last time I would be able to party for a while with certain friends of mine who have recently moved away. And when we all get together, (good) chaos always ensues. Here’s to some amazing memories I will never forget with some unforgettable people.

For videos and pictures from my Vegas trip, check out my Instagram by clicking here and scrolling to the posts from Feb. 6-9.