How To Crush Your Spontaneous Trip To Las Vegas
What the hell did I just get myself into?
Bright lights. The Eiffel Tower. Perfectly manicured streets lined with palm trees. Water fountain shows choreographed to Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon”. David Copperfield’s face blown up on the side of the MGM. The music of the slot machines. This is Las Vegas! A fantasy land for adults.
About two weeks ago, my friends and I decided to buy plane tickets two hours before the plane took off to Las Vegas. We only had the suits and dresses we put on, our wallets, and cell phones. How did we do it? Well that is what I am about to share with you in my short guide on how to crush your spontaneous trip to Las Vegas. You can choose friends and family Las Vegas packages to enjoy your vacation with your loved ones while saving money on unnecessary expenses. (You know, if you ever find yourself last minute, sitting on an airplane asking, “What the hell did I just get myself into?”)
Rule Number One:
The first, and most important rule to remember is that Vegas is not your friend. Yes, the beautiful girls handing you drinks, the perfect arrangement of chocolates and cookies in your room, and the friendly bartender who just so happens to have a strong interest in your life story, may make it seem that way. If you’re like me, a broke college student who felt absolutely invincible, it is easy to feel that your bank account is invincible too. But the number one rule to surviving Vegas, is to not fall for this trap of unlimited temptations, or you will be walking away with a debt higher than your student loans. Play it smart, don’t be the puppet in their beautifully design game of real-life Monopoly .
Rule Number Two:
Set the right mindset. When you are sitting on that plane, with an ice cold drink in your hand, just take a moment and remind yourself, you are about to enter a black hole of losing. I’m not trying to be pessimistic here, but rather honest. Don’t get your hopes up. When you’re going to Vegas, you have to prepare yourself to lose more than you make. Vegas always wins, and that is the unfortunate truth. Even if you walk away with $300 dollars from a game of Blackjack, it could be taken right back with one swipe of a dealer’s hand. You’ll be much happier if you’re mentally and emotionally prepared for this reality. Make sure to check your wallet and bank account ahead of time. If you’re up $45 dollars at one table, check out, and move on to the next table. Don’t keep playing if you don’t have the financial freedom to risk it, but rather make your rounds at different tables, and keep collecting it as you go. Walk away every time you make some cash, even if it’s just $15 dollars. Hey, that $15 dollars is just enough to buy you the deodorant and toothbrush you didn’t have enough time to pack!
Rule Number Three:
The Cartier and Givenchy Paris boxes that decorate the hot air balloons in the Bellagio hotel are empty, I checked.
Rule Number Four:
Bring a phone charger. You may not have enough time to pack toiletries, but a phone charger is crucial. You do not want to be lost and trapped in Vegas with 5% on your phone once you get off the plane. At least one person in the group should have a phone charger at all times. It is important to utilize good teamwork, and effective sharing skills to ensure that at least two people at all times has charge on their phone! Phone battery is a key component to surviving Vegas, especially when you find yourself last minute trying to book a hotel room, or another plane ticket because you accidentally decide to stay just one more night.
Rule Number Five:
Be creative! When you find yourself making an impromptu trip, have fun with it! If you’re a girl, and you find yourself in Vegas with only the dress you’re wearing, maybe make a trendy outfit with one of the men’s suits (seen in the picture below). If you’re a guy, you’re fine. All you really need to make sure is that you have a change of pair of socks. You want to save as much as you can for all the “fun activities” you can do in Vegas, it is not necessary to spend a bunch of money on a new outfit. Make the most with what you have.
Rule Number Six:
Act like you belong to be in Vegas. Whether that means you feast at a fancy restaurant, win $500 dollars in Texas Hold’em, or find yourself at the front of a line for the best club in Las Vegas, always stay composed…you run this place. In Las Vegas, it’s all about confidence. You never want to break. Always act like you know what you’re doing, even if you don’t. Composure and confidence ensures that Vegas can’t and won’t push you around.
Rule Number Seven:
Make the most of it. If you already made the decision to go to Vegas, don’t back down. There is so much to do, and it’s important to maximize all the time you have! The city never sleeps, so that means you shouldn’t either. Go check out a live comedy show, dance at the club, or take a gondola ride down Venice in the Venetian. The world is at your fingertips. It’s fun to let yourself go and just run around for a night. Run through different hotels, explore, and maybe play at some slot machines in between. For once, you don’t have to worry about your next assignment, meeting, or rules. For once, you have the chance to just live for a moment and make memories you won’t forget in fantasy land.
As a college student, it is easy to get trapped into daily routines where you feel like a robot going through the motions. Even as an adult, the same unfortunate experience can happen. No matter what our age is, we all fall victim to the monotonous cycle of life. When I look back on my college life, I know it is memories like these that I will remember forever. Running down the airport terminal with my heels in one hand to catch a plane to Vegas, was probably one of the highlights of my college career. It is important to take a break for ourselves, travel, and experience the world. Sometimes all we need is a little push into the unknown, and to make those impulsive and uncomfortable decisions that we usually wouldn’t make. Spontaneous trips often turn out the best. Finding yourself in a new place, with no plans or commitments, gives you the opportunity to just let yourself go and explore. I know I just sat here and gave you a list of rules to follow, but the most important rule is to not feel obligated to the rules. All you need is yourself, good people, and a change of pair of socks. If you find yourself about to click “purchase” for those plane tickets, do it. The best comes from the unexpected. Viva Las Vegas!
