So on a whim I decided to go to Las Vegas for the weekend to visit my friend. Best decision of the year. By the time the trip rolled around I was ready for letting something loose. Big Time. Usually this means more than my usual glass of wine with dinner and two, not one, creme brulees. I was definitely ready for some fun.
I had a semi-early flight and my friend had to work so I had pretty much the whole day to play around the strip. I ended up playing less than I wanted. For some reason, probably because the last time I was there I was only 20, I thought things would be different. Like, the whole of Las Vegas would be my oyster and I would be like Katy Perry in that one music video. 
OK, maybe that is an exaggerated assumption. But I did have the thought that I would just sit at the slot machines, sip my drink, and be satisfied. Satisfaction eluded me, probably because I lost about 20$ in 5 minutes. I did not feel adult at all, rather I felt kind of stupid at the waste money. Anyways, so I just left; didn’t even cash out the $1.10 I won. I spent the rest of the time shopping for my friends and enjoyed the views.
Later, we saw a play that literally blew me away. It was so good that if I had just hopped on a plane back to SF, my trip would have been complete right then and there. What was most amazing were the opening scenes. It starts out at an auction where people are are bidding on an old music box. An old man in a wheelchair wins the auction and begins to reminisce about the old days associated with this music box when the auctioneer abruptly informs him that it belonged to the PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. And with a flash and boom the entire theater goes completely dark except for the bottom piece of a three tier chandelier lying on the stage, which lights up and start to hypnotically float and rotate toward us. And by us, I literally mean the audience (my friend got us pretty sweet seats near the front). The entire thing was rigged on ropes but it moved so smoothly you hardly noticed them. The other two smaller pieces, attached to the wall, also start floating toward the center of the theater (right above the audience). Eventually the three pieces were in the center and started to float and dance around each other until they fell into place to make one large chandelier and floated to the ceiling. I could not believe something like this could just be done with ropes. And the whole time the classic phantom theme song was playing so loud I could feel feel it thumping in my chest. Simply amazing.
After the play we went to a club and had free entry, drinks, and dancing. Yay for connections! As tired as we were the next day, we tried to get into at least two brunch buffets but who would have thought everybody and their mother had the same idea. Tip for all who visit Las Vegas: If you want to go to a buffet on a Saturday morning, get in line at 8am. Otherwise, the only options left are small coffee shops. After enjoying our coffee and brioche we went to a Christmas concert put on by the Las Vegas Philharmonic Symphony. Simply amazing. One of the phantom of the opera singers sang and it again, was simply amazing. Did you hear that? Have I said it enough? Amazing. What I liked about the concert was that they sang a couple of unusual songs like “Hard Candy Christmas” and even some Hannukah songs. The Christmas songs were so moving I am not ashamed to admit I became teary eyed with an overwhelming sense of closeness, memories, future memories, family, and love.
Aaaaannnnndddd then we pigged ourselves out at the Cosmopolitan buffet and drinks at the Chandelier. 
It was the perfect finish to an awesome weekend.
