I love Las Vegas. If I could go there every other week I would. This was my second year at the Bloggers In Sin City conference. The first one changed my life in that it was something I would never do: get on a plane to meet a bunch of strangers and share a room with one of them and hang out with them for three days. This time I knew more of what to expect. I even had the same roommate (Kelly! Here’s her blog).

And this time, I learned a lot more. About myself. About people. About life. Here are my lessons. I hope we can all learn something.

There is so such thing as a 24 hour buffet. This is true not in only the literal sense; that as much as Vegas loves its buffets, it doesn’t have one that is open all the time. And thanks to the concierge for scoffing at us for asking. Sir you work in Vegas, and this is the question that throws you? But the life buffet is also not open 24 hours. When you have a delicious buffet, you need to savor every moment and get seconds, if not thirds. There is so much to try. Don’t focus on only one item. And when it inevitably ends, have something to look forward to. Except when you die, then it’s kind of over. Unless you believe in the afterlife in which case, have fun talking to John Edward on his loser show. 

On a similar note, it is not a good idea to eat buffalo wings at 2 AM. It sounds like a great idea at the time — or it did to me — because fuck it, I’m in Vegas, and I don’t really gamble so I’m going to go wild and eat buffalo wings. That’s how I party to the hardest of partying.

Don’t assume things about people. Just talk to them first. I met a few people who I thought were one thing and were something completely different, and in a good way. We all judge and that sucks, but as long as we decide to prove our judgments wrong, we’re still okay people. That girl who looked perfect and beautiful and was perched on her suitcase like she was modeling for Vogue without even trying had to be really aloof and easy to hate, right? So wrong. So very wrong. That girl who is very direct and precise is probably a bitch and hates everything about you, right? Also wrong. That girl who’s drinking a lot  and is parked at the food table eating an entire plate of bacon wrapped shrimp is clearly shameless and doesn’t give a fuck is probably a glorious mess, right? Right, because that girl was me, and it was awesome.

Drinking in the street during the day is fun.

Stop worrying about how you look and just have fun already. I was hot and sweaty and bloated (Viva Las Vegas!) and I just wanted to leave but I stuck around for a little, Simone put my hair into an impromptu undo in the ladies room, I took off my sweltering tights, and I got myself a drink. Admittedly, I still left early, and I wish I hadn’t! Although I went back to the hotel room and had some leftover pizza and watched the season finale of “How I Met Your Mother” so it wasn’t a total loss.

Time for photos!

(And dear lord, the gift bags. The swag consumed me. Here’s just one example:)

And finally…

Look out for my Las Vegas video coming soon!

Thanks to BCBGeneration for the fox masks and beach balls.