A Las Vegas (and Digital SLR) Virgin

Don't worry. I am aware that it's been over three weeks since returning from my Thanksgiving escapades in Las Vegas and that I am only now posting about it. Yes, I'm aware that this post will be a shell of the greatness it could have been since I put off writing it for so long. Oh, and of course, I'm aware you weren't waiting on baited breath...

I have no real excuse, but let me offer up a few.

First and foremost, I am not a good photographer. No, no, let me finish. Approximately four weeks ago I purchased myself a heavily discounted -- but perfectly brand new -- Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR camera. It was time to pull out the big guns because, my friends, my Android Vignette camera app was just not cutting it anymore. Vegas allowed me my first chance to use it, and I learned very quickly that it is going to require a lot of practice before I am able to take hundreds of photos consecutively that I am happy with. As Jon puts it, "It might take ten thousand photographs before you have this camera working for you like a pro."

Maybe my standards are too high, but I only want to the best for you.

The lack of beautiful photos (and literally no good ones of actual human beings) made my confidence dwindle to nothingness and I felt it would be impossible to show my virtual face.

Secondly, after returning home from Vegas -- a drive that, round-trip, allowed master Jonathan and me to spend a wonderful and totally stress free *sarcasm* 28 hours in the car together -- I came down with a debilitating cold and wanted nothing to do with thoughts of any kind.

Third, and lastly, I'm lazy. Really and truly.

So here they are. The few, the select, the slightly short of worthy. Photos from my very first trip to Las Vegas.

Yep! Those were the only decent ones out of hundreds. But I suppose the important point is this:

I had an absolutely amazing time.

Jon's mother and step-father treated us to a VIP experience, and we could not even begin to thank them for including us in their holiday. To name just a few highlights: we were blessed with a magnificent suite at Mandalay Bay; an Italian-inspired Thanksgiving feast at Maggiano's; perfect seats and a jaw-dropping experience at The Beatles' LOVE show; numerous boozy adventures which included Red Square, Minus5º Ice Bar, The Chandelier, and The Foundation Room (my favorite); a dark, mood-lit, and delicious steak dinner at Strip House; and a soulful, gospel brunch at The House of Blues.

Mostly, though, we just explored and relaxed. The Strip is H.U.G.E. and it proved impossible to walk back and forth along it the way we had planned. (We're getting so old.) My feet, and Jon's too, just didn't hold up.

It's strange to think of just how excited I was to visit Las Vegas -- my first time ever, at 25 (and a half!) years old. Honestly, other than wishing I could have visited my dear friends, Nick and Liz, who lived in Vegas for a few years after college, when I had the chance, I've never been that interested in going. When I was young, I had friends whose families went often, but my parents never even hinted that going was something worth doing. And unlike how I would often ask my dad why we couldn't go and see the PG-13 movies like all of our friends could, we never asked why Las Vegas wasn't a go-to spring destination like it was for so many others we knew.

Jon was that other kid growing up -- the one who was always off to Vegas with his family, and then, later on in life, with his friends.

To be honest, I'm glad I had never gone before. Seeing it with virgin eyes -- after all the movies and television shows and celebrity news articles that sing its histories, sins, and praises -- was rather exciting. I was star struck by the lights and the sheer size of it all, but also by how sad some parts look, and silly it all seems.

An amusement park for adults.

I'm excited to go again and try something new. I was really drawn to the MGM Grand, with all it's old-school glamour and classic movie photos and memorabilia. Also, New York, New York was maybe my favorite of all of them -- if, say, I chose to take my future kids to Vegas. It was probably the cheapest place to eat on the strip (that we found); that massive sandwich from Greenberg's Deli above was only about $10.

Next time, hopefully I'll have that darn camera figured out. At least the photographer at the Minus5º Ice Bar knew how to take a high quality photograph.

* All images property of People Just Float.