ACEDIA • TRISTITIA • LUXURIA • IRA • VANGLORIA • GULA • AVARITIA 

S L O T H
Sin City isn’t just about legalized gambling and prostitution; it has so much more to offer than people think. I’ve been to Vegas quite a few times and wasted my afternoons at poolsides sipping colorful drinks with umbrellas, exploring the insides of all the fancy hotels and being taken in by the lights and shows. But there is more to Vegas than that and once you’re done relaxing it’s time to explore!

On one of my solo trips to Vegas, I decided to explore nature. I looked up in TripAdvisor the best hikes and headed over to Red Rock Canyon which is only a 35 minute drive from the strip. I spent my afternoon in the sun with fresh air covered in dirt. I love a day where I end up covered in dirt. I explored the area, studied the cacti until about sunset.

S O R R O W 
I didn’t have anywhere to stay that night and things got a little pricey at the last minute. So I thought I’d try something a little adventurous and booked a $17 bed at “Hostel Cat” figuring I’d at least make some new friends and get some interesting stories. It did not disappoint. As I drove up to the hostel there were two strippers outside on a swing. Already proving interesting. I felt a little uneasy as I realized I wasn’t in the best part of the strip. A part I had yet to discover. When I got inside I was given a code and instructions. Once inside the main gate, after two codes that change daily, I felt a bit safer. I chose the mixed bed dorm as I usually make more friends with guys than girls, who in my experience tend to be cliquish and extra messy. I secured my belongings, showered and headed to the common area to make friends.

L U S T
I just happened to be there for the first Friday of the month. All the food trucks were out, local bands, artists and performers. We had a great time and I highly recommend it. As many nights in Vegas end, we ended up at a local dive gay bar. Thank goodness for my new hostel mates because a lesbian couple tried to make me their new roommate!

W R A T H
The next day one of my best friends just so happened to be in town so we made a lunch and headed out to the Hoover Dam. If you haven’t been, it’s a landmark worth seeing. Powering three states with electricity, the Hoover Dam supplies power to over 18 million people. Where Mother Nature is never a force to reckon with on its own, absolutely never mess with a construction where man and nature combine forces. The death toll numbers are controversial from even the birth of the construction; the death from flooding, accidents and the suicides are incalculable. There is definitely an eerie feeling when you look over the edge of the railing. Honestly, it was so fascinating and you can even cross another state border off your list if that’s your sort of thing. We saw loads of military helicopters and airplanes circling above and we came up with a couple of good conspiracy theories about Area 51. The drive back is a bit brutal with traffic (especially with a full bladder) so I recommend you time the drive home around the traffic.

E N V Y
We made it back in time to hit up a couple of poolside happy hours and if you plan Vegas properly it doesn’t have to be expensive. As soon as you land in Vegas and Instagram your selfies with #vegas or anything similar, club promoters will start messaging you with deals. I personally am not a club person although I’ve had some pretty memorable experiences in some; usually ending the night with at least one marriage proposal. I’ve had a guy give my friends $100 to promise to keep me safe. (They gave him change as $100 seemed like too much for me at the time; apparently I need new friends.) I’m more of a dive bar kinda girl and people watching is my main game. Vegas dive bars are like “people of Wal-Mart” on steroids at prime time. Everyone has a story and they all are waiting to tell you if you’re up for it. Be ready to hear a lot of doom and gloom and tons of terrible decisions. It’s amazing!

G L U T T O N Y
Another highlight of Vegas and what would America’s City of Sin be without the tastiest of the deadly sins… Las Vegas buffets. You can eat your way around the world for $25-$200 depending on your quality of poison. Again, I’m not really one for flash and crowds so you can usually find me people watching and soaking up that cheap happy hour booze with $5 steak and eggs or at Ellis Island where they have steak, gambling and Karaoke.

 

 

G R E E D
There is something for every budget and lifestyle in Vegas. I’m not much of a gambler,personally, but occasionally you can find me at the wheel of fortune slot machine earning some free drinks. If gambling isn’t your thing, you can hike, learn history, site see, live your flashiest life or finally get that envious “hangover movie” kind of night and wake up with a tiger. I was accidentally an extra in a movie once while tanning by the pool. The world is yours in Vegas and all the possibilities are at your fingertips. Careful what you wish for and live semi responsibly, you could also end up at a drive thru Elvis chapel marrying a stranger… it is Vegas after all.