Las Vegas: Indulgence & Detox

 

PART I. INDULGENCE

I just returned from a wonderful (and overstimulated & sleep-deprived) vacation in Las Vegas. As much as I try to stay away from this place, I secretly enjoy its overindulgent lifestyle and over-the-top glamour once in awhile when life gets dull, in need of healthy dose of self-indulgence. (and yes I believe there is such a thing)

In Vegas I find myself staying up later than usual, wearing heavier eye-make up, drinking one too many glasses of cocktail and spending $100 bills like it's worth ten. This time was no different and I somehow ended up spending the entire 2K that I won. It's like my wallet on a chain has a hole on the bottom and I walk around leaking money or something. 

Occasionally I have these almost too-good-to-be-true moments in Vegas where I sit in front of a machine and win $$ after a few mindless trials. Well actually, this happened 3 times in my life. I don't know if its my intuition or pure luck but this time it happened two times in one day. 

It really doesn't matter though, as always I ended up spending all my winnings & play money on shopping, eating, playing and returning home with just enough money to grab some Alien beef jerky & chile and lime pistachios at my usual stop in Baker. 

As expected, I have a love & hate relationship with Las Vegas.

I love being able to order drinks as late as I want and being able to walk out of a club, return to the room for a break, and walk back ready to party until 5 am. I love its fine dining varieties, great shopping, getting dolled up and feeling different than my usual boring self and sleeping in until noon in a completely blacked out room.

I also love lying out by the pool with a drink in my hand, surrounded by beautiful, chiseled bodies and dozing off to killer house music. I love its glitz & glamour, unprecendented service and finest amenities. 

Simultaneously I hate its pretentiousness, whorish girls in cheap mini dresses, drunk guys and their stupid entourage, greedy dealers who smile in your face only to wipe you out in the next hand and materialistic valet guys who act extra courteous and accommodating to those in expensive rides. 

I hate overspending money and overindulging on food & drinks. Not to mention the in-your-face nudity, cheesy call girl signs, oversized boobs and hyper-masculinity...or shall I say, overflowing hormones all around town.

 

Overall it was a good trip filled with rare indulgences like numerous cocktails, bubbly champagne, delicious desserts at Serendipity 3, French dining, two trips to the worlds best pho restaurant (I never eat pho except here) and cool visuals such as the above Brahma shrine juxtaposed by the Roman pillars of Caesar's palace. Like many others living in So. California, I've been to Las Vegas too many times to find this trip new & exciting but I'm always thankful for opportunities to step away from my mundane life to indulge once in awhile.

PART III. DETOX 

On a different note, I'm turning 32 in less than a month. It still feels surreal to think about my age because the past 10 years seriously flew by. I still feel 22 sometimes but I know I'm not when hangovers get worse, energy level decreases and types of daily vitamins in my medicine cabinet increase.  

After three days & four nights in Las Vegas, I'm in major recovery mode. Recovering from what, I'm not exactly sure since I didn't party or drink excessively this time but I'm tired and body & mind needs rest. 

In need of detox, both physically and mentally before my 32nd year.

Today I'm grateful for my seemingly normal life filled with normal problems of a stay-at-home wife and mom but I know this dark writerly self is lurking somewhere deep down inside, awaiting her chance to relive her passions through words of dark sentiment and deviance. 

But today as in the past 8 years, I shove her back down, give her the cold Don't-you-dare-bitch stare and smile warmly at my children.

I think I'm ready to turn 32-years old.