I intentionally named this page "Part I" because I am certain that this will be my first of many trips to Las Vegas.

I was raised on the east coast, mainly in Connecticut, and as far as casinos go, there is Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, and if you were so inclined, you could take a trip down to Atlantic City. Las Vegas was a big idea, a big trip unless you happened to be sent there for a work trip. I had no such job that would spontaneously send me out to Vegas. Since moving to southern California in late 2013, Las Vegas was in my mind, slowly coming to the forefront. "When would I go to Vegas?" I kept thinking about it, and tacitly putting it off even though it was only a four hour drive away. In the Spring of 2015, it really started to call to me. My birthday was approaching (April 18th) and that felt like as good a time as any to venture to Vegas.

Have you ever planned out a trip and everything came together perfectly? No, I mean....perfectly. I was astounded. There was a lot of good karma, good fortune, grace, etc, surrounding this trip to Vegas.

First, at the time I was planning it, I was working at a hotel in Burbank, CA. The topic of going to Vegas kept coming up in conversation and I had a manager who used to work in Vegas. He had a friend that was working at the Excalibur Hotel and he kindly offered, "Do you want me to see if she has any rooms available? I'm pretty sure she can get you in at the employee rate..." Wow, and it worked out. I was able to stay at the end of the strip for a very very reasonable price. Thankful for good vibes to start it all off.

Secondly, I have two sets of friends, two couples that I know in Las Vegas. They are couples that I met/know from my hometown in Stamford, CT. The first couple is my friend Mike, a great guy that I grew up with who is a passionate poker player, and his girlfriend, Alana, a dancer. They had chased their west coast dreams...(but more about that below, keep scrolling) and landed in Vegas. I hoped that I would be able to see them at some point. The other couple was Julie and Steve, friends that I met while working at a Marriott in Stamford, CT. They were both still working Hospitality in Vegas (more on that below) and it would have been great to see them as well.

The third idea was to head out to the Hoover Dam, since it was not too far away. Lastly, I planned to see Jerry Seinfeld perform at Caesar's Palace.

Like I hinted at above, it. all. worked. out. Everything. Perfectly. All those plans came together without at hitch. It felt like a dream or a movie. You know how it can be with traveling and trying to meet up with friends...Someone is out of town. They already have plans. They are working and can't make it. They are "sick" and don't want to see you, but they're too nice to say it...or they are actually sick, God forbid. Things/life usually come up, right? Not this trip. Not this time.

It was perfect. I saw both couples and every attraction I could have hoped for. On the first night, Wednesday night, I met up with Mike and Alana, and we had a few drinks at the Bellagio, walked the strip and eventually had a late (2AM) dinner at a Mexican restaurant just off the strip where their friend hooked us up with quite a bit of food for not a lot of money. Awesome. On the second night, I was able to see Julie and Steven. We had dinner at one of their favorite restaurants and then walked around the Linq Hotel; you know where that big ferris wheel is located, and we had a few more drinks and took some fun photos at the Polaroid photo booth. I headed out to the Hoover Dam between all of that. On the third and final night, I saw Jerry Seinfeld. So thankful. Such a great weekend.

All that said, I managed to take a few photographs along the way. The Strip is a photographer's playground of course. I soaked in all the great hotel, resorts, architecture and statues just walking and weaving in and out as I pleased...

Speaking of the Wynn Hotel...

My friend Steve, as I mentioned before, is still working in Hospitality. He urged me to meet him at the Wynn hotel so that he could show me around a bit. I was not disappointed by his workplace...

Of course I made sure to grab a few images of the strip at night...

Away from the strip...

I was happy to learn that there was a Frank Gehry building in Las Vegas. I had driven past it initially on my way back from the Hoover Dam heading to Downtown Las Vegas, and my instincts perked up. "I think that's a Gehry building." That's not a difficult guess considering his unique design style. I searched on Google and of course, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health is located on West Bonneville Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada. I walked around it and photographed it, without looking too nefarious of course...

In the end...

I made sure to ascend the Stratosphere Hotel and get to the observation deck for a great view of the strip. It felt like a good way to ceremoniously end the trip:

A Little Moment of Nostalgia...

I'd love to end this post with three more images that mean a lot to me.

As I mentioned before, I met up with my friend, Mike and his girlfriend, Alana on the Strip and had a few drinks with them at the Bellagio. This moment ended up being a big deal to me (and hopefully to Mike too). Repeating myself, but Mike and I grew up in Stamford, Connecticut. Stamford is a nice town: not too big, not too small, with a population just shy of 150,000. Crime is not too bad. It's a safe place to raise your kids. It has great proximity to New York City. It's very racially and ethnically diverse. There are a few notable organizations whom are headquartered in Stamford, such as General Electric, Nestle Waters and the Royal Bank of Scotland. There is absolutely nothing "wrong" with Stamford. But...

Mike and I saw and discovered our dreams. I'm passionate about Photography and Film and hope to build a great career within/between both of those disciplines. Mike loves Poker. We saw our futures away from our hometown and on the west coast in Los Angeles and Las Vegas respectively. It's a common story, for people to leave their roots and venture away from where they grew up in order to blossom or become someone new. Usually that story involves smaller towns that may not have certain industries, opportunities and advantages at all, making it much more understandable or "acceptable" for one to leave. That's not the case with Stamford, CT. The city and the area have quite a bit to offer, not to mention many loving friends and families nearby. "Why would you leave Stamford?"

Mike and I are kindred spirits about this issue. Over the years we've had many great heart to hearts about life and this idea of leaving Stamford for the west coast. A few years prior had ventured out to Las Vegas to pursue poker and something just didn't click or feel right. He eventually moved back, but I remember how courageous he was. I thought, "Wow. He's doing it. He's going for it." It was inspiring.

I remember sitting with him at a bar downtown in our hometown towards the end of 2012. It had been a difficult year with the passing of my mother, but I knew I needed change. I was not sure what change that form would take but I just knew that a personal resurgence was afoot. I remember Mike complimenting me and assuring me in such a great way. He said, "Mal, you just have 'it.'" He wasn't worried about my life for my future, because he knew I had what it took to succeed in the world. Those words meant a lot.

In the Fall of 2013, I remember saying goodbye to Mike before leaving town, and on that night, I first met his girlfriend, Alana. Something about him and being with her felt different. I saw a happiness in my friend that I had never seen. There was something special about her, about the two of them together. We had casual conversation and said goodbye. Little did I know that the three of us meeting would not be a goodbye, but the beginning of both our journeys and a new chapter of friendship.

In the Spring of 2015, I heard from Mike. He and Alana were moving to the west coast. They were coming to California and asked me about Pasadena. I was beyond delighted. They were doing it. They made it. I eagerly met up with them, and another friend from our hometown Josh, in Pasadena. In a tiny Best Western Inn room, we had the conversation of a lifetime. We all spoke about our desires, and our dreams for the future and how difficult it was to pursue creative, artistic, or specific passions; how difficult it is to leave our hometown in search of more. It was the best heart to heart I've ever had with a set of friends.

A month later, I arrived in Las Vegas and those warm feelings remained. We were happy to reunite again, but this time on the Las Vegas Strip. We were missing our friend, Josh, but we made the most of it. Mike and I are both fans of the Ocean's Eleven series of movies. For years, Mike enjoyed the Rat Pack and all things Las Vegas, so naturally he enjoyed the newer version of Ocean's with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, et al.

When I thought about going to Las Vegas, and everything Mike and I went through to make it to the west coast, I could not help but imagine a copycat moment. I don't know how much you like those movies, probably not as much as I do, but do you remember the ending of Ocean's Eleven? Remember when the guys pull off the heist? Remember how they all walk over to the fountain at the Bellagio...? Of course... we had to.

I let Mike know that I wanted to recreate that shot that moment with the two of us and he, without hesitation thought it was a great idea. We didn't have nine more, and we didn't have Claire De Lune playing in the background but it was a special moment. We looked out over the fountain and really enjoyed what the moment represented. We couldn't help but compliment and encourage each other more, and thankfully, graciously, Alana was wilingl to capture the moment. She did a great job and I feel like we did pretty well as copycats.

Here's to Las Vegas. Here's to chasing your dreams.