Back To Vegas

So last weekend I returned to Las Vegas. I hadn't been back since April. I wasn't exactly clamoring to return, but a friend of mine was celebrating her birthday, and I felt like I needed to get away. So I went to my house, and she brought her crew for the weekend. I honestly didn't know what to expect, especially considering the circumstances the last time I was there.

I don't need to go into all the details, but honest to say, I really had a great time. It was the first time I got to cook for people in months. I caught up with family, getting in on some of the gossip, and looking forward to all the baby showers, weddings, graduations and all the other excuses we had to get together. I played poker for the first time in a while and doubled my money. And we drove back safe, even getting to work on time at 6:30 Monday morning.

But I think what was most important for me was that for the first time, Las Vegas started to actually feel like home. As much as I hate some of the intense indulgence and cruelty of Sin City, and the awkward concoction of sadness, confusion, and uncertainty I feel whenever I glimpse at the Stratosphere, I've become more aware of the personal intimacies of the city. Maybe it's just going around the city a few times more. Maybe it's all the friends I manage to run into when I'm there. Maybe it's the compelling stories of romance and tragedy that have touched my family and the families of my friends. But whatever Las Vegas is, it's certainly more than the Strip and the showgirls.