Las Vegas Lessons

I was so inspired by our recent getaway that I was going to sit down and write this post while everything was fresh and so clear in my head. Well, you know what they say about best made plans. I laid eyes on my baby and a blog was the last thing on my mind. Oh, and then this thing called "work" messed up any blogging plans as well. Dang it. Blogging takes a lot less thinking...which sometimes I really appreciate and it is just so much more fun! So now, you'll have join me through a bit of a foggy memory of what lessons I learned in Vegas. Let's start from the beginning....

I was "lucky" enough to be invited to join my husband on this trip. This is usually a yearly "work" trip although I'm still confused on why Stefano must bring golf clubs on a work trip...I surely don't bring clubs to my job….ah, the mysteries of life. Historically, he goes with a couple of friends (yes, I realize I'm the best wife ever) and spends a few days away "working". This year, only one of his usually cohorts could join him so I "won" an invite along with the other "lucky" wife. Once the tickets were booked I was like, "Oh crap, what have I done? When I said I wanted to go-I forgot I had a kid and got lost in the no kid spontaneity of life." Then I would proceed to have a mild panic attack and this occurred over and over in the few weeks preceding the trip. Luckily, my work which has saved me many times from focusing too heavily on my own "problems" made the weeks leading up to the trip fly by keeping my mind occupied on other tasks. It was 5:00 in the morning the day of the trip when I truly realized what was happening. We were at my sister's house (AKA "TT") where Nico would be staying 2 nights for his own "Vegas Experience". I finally had a moment to catch my breath and when I did I could feel that feeling of full fledge anxiety and  on the verge of tears as I told my husband we had to leave right now otherwise there was a strong probability that I would not be joining him. As I kissed Nico goodbye all those terrible thoughts of, "What if my plane crashes? He will be parentless! What if we are involved in another random tragic accident? What if a car hits a bunch of pedestrians while walking the strip?" Then I reminded myself this is exactly why I should NOT watch the news. I become a lot more crazier after doing so. I gave Nico a thousand kisses praying that it wouldn't be my last. Dramatic, I know.

We met our flying partners at the airport and thank the Dear Lord for modern technology because "TT" was already sending me video clips of Nico very happily eating breakfast and playing like he wasn't aware that we were the terribly selfish parents that we were by deserting him. We boarded the flight and I was not sure what to do with myself without Nico on the plane with us. What do I do if I don't have to entertain and try to keep a baby happy on the plane for hours at a time? Oh yeah! The book that I packed! I spent the few hours in the shaky air (remember my fear of flying?) trying to distract myself from images of the plane falling from the sky by taking advantage of being able to read the first ADULT book in probably two years. So strange. So relaxing. I don't think my mind has been able to decompress like that for a long long time...as in multiple years. The flight safely landed-I said my prayer of thanks and we exited the airport to sunshine and warmness...another strange feeling. We then proceeded to a rental station where we picked up our shiny, fast, hot....mini van. After kids you lower you expectations and you just go with it. But when traveling with professional chefs golfers....you have a lot to haul and we got "upgraded" to a van. Gee, thanks. We pulled up to the Bellagio in our mini van and unloaded next to Ferraris and other fancy smancy cars. From there us girls headed to the pool and the boys headed to work the golf course. We were able to enjoy a couple hours by the pool and then the wind switched and we were forced to go inside where we had to sweat in a eucalyptus steam room/sauna/pools at the Bellagio spa. Poor us huh? 

We met up with boys for a dinner on the patio of Lago where every 15 minutes the Bellagio fountains put on a show seemingly just for us. We then went to see the Cirque du Soleil show "O" where we all marveled in the beauty of such a spectacular show...so much beauty that we all fell asleep. Yes, a Saturday night in Las Vegas with no children we all fell asleep during a show before the clock struck midnight. Lame? Yes, so lame. Good thing no one would have guessed that just by the looks of us….

After a morning of "sleeping in" and a little room service action to indulge in the ability to lay in bed for as long as we pleased

we decided to join the world again. We peeked outside and noticed a wicked wind and a iffy forecast so we decided to chase the sun and head to California in our reliable and roomy mini van. Our destination of choice? Death Valley National Park. We left a windy but sunny Vegas in our rearview mirror and headed into a rainy and cloudy Purump...which led us to question our decision. We carried on not knowing much about our final destination besides a few random internet finds in between our choppy cellular service we really had no idea what to expect or where we were going or if we'd ever find that sun that we were chasing. But two and a half hours later we arrived and the sun was shining and we were full of excitement. Having this big unknown space in front of you, not sure what to expect, or even where to go, that can be so exciting but yet kind of terrifying at the same time. 

During our journey to different points of interests within the 3 million acres of what is Death Valley-we noticed many others whom had parked their vehicles on the side of the roads and were taking pictures of little desert flowers. We all kinda of rolled our eyes at them as we saw people laying in them and having seemingly photo shoots with the flowers as the main subject.

Google Image of What I Speak Of...

Little did we know we were witnessing a "Super Bloom" a phenomenon that if lucky occurs once a decade. Where this typical barren desert is flooded with colorful flowers and because of that tourists were and are currently flooding the area in hopes to catch a glimpse. Reporting to pay enormous lodging rates to do so. The joke was on us that we were witnessing something magical and we didn't fully appreciate it till after the fact. True of life sometimes too, eh? This great unknown piece of land that had stretches of what appeared to be not so thrilling of "spots" but then as your rounded the corner you would witness something that was so beautiful that it took your breath away and you are just in total awe of how you could be sharing space with something so spectacular. Death Valley is amazing. I'm officially obsessed. We saw other POI and visited one of Death Valley's most iconic spots the "Badwater Basin" home to the 200 sq miles of protected salt flats.

Not only that but also the lowest spot in North America (282 below sea level). We all rested our heads on the lowest point in the US although I felt that point symbolically was once a familiar place to my body and soul.

I felt this whole experience was so symbolic to life in general...throughout our journey we hiked, unsure where the path would lead us...we passed others on their own path experiencing their own "adventure" somewhat similar to us but yet different. We made wrong turns, we had to back track, heck we even all stumbled along the way but we all kept going. Isn't that what life is all about? To go through the unknown and find our own way? Even if  that means picking yourself up off the ground or backtracking a bit so you can get back on the path to witness the next beautiful thing that's just around the bend? All the different highs and lows of life and at times even feeling a little bit lost?  And that sometimes the journey will at times take longer than you want it too but the view is that much more appreciated because of the wait?

My "Mountain" Climbing Partner

If it doesn't resound with you maybe it's just felt so closely matched to the last few yeas of my life? The ups and downs but finding the beauty along the way and most of all...just keeping on putting one foot in front of the other. It made me reflect that sometimes we can get so exhausted by the climb up the mountain of life that at times not only is it exhausting but may also have jagged edges to test our endurance even more. That for me personally, there had been so many jagged edges over the last handful of years that I was constantly getting wounded and it was hard to not keep looking back and remembering those wounds. But to keep going, knowing that once I got to that top of that mountain that I would be part of something so beautiful that I would forget about how hard the climb was. Yes, you Nicolo are the peak of the biggest hardest mountain I have climbed thus far. But you big boy, were and continue to be so worth it.

If you're currently enjoying the view from the top-remember to not take it for granted and to reach down and help someone up to enjoy the view with you. And to appreciate and respect that their way up may have been a bit different and maybe a little easier or even possibly even a little harder-so be kind. If you still on ground level and there is a mountain you're currently facing remember that sometimes it all can be so scary and you will be full of fear but just.keep.going. You become stronger. You become more confident. You become more appreciative. I promise.

That saying of that it's not so much about the destination than it is about the journey...is so.right.on. Thank you desert for your life lessons. Thank you TT for allowing us to take this adventure, and thank you to the Sierackis for being part of our adventure.

This quote to the left sums things up pretty well about my experience as well….thank you Randall…you're a wise man. We ended up leaving Death Valley well before I think any of us were ready to due to evening plans we had to head back. Although, I would have loved to see more points of interests and to watch the sunset and see the stars in such a remote location. Death Valley we will be back for you…and we will bring our Nico. We headed back for dinner and had a some legit sushi at Sushi Roku and went to see Absinthe for the 3rd time and laughed and was amazed just as the first time we saw it. And the most amazing part? We all stayed awake. For the entire show. Impressive I know…learning to adult again takes a little time. Overall our adult weekend would be considered a success. I guess it's "healthy" to do things like this although I'm completely OK with being unhealthy and not being away from my child. But, maybe ask me again after we add some more children to our crew…I may be begging to go anywhere without children in tow. And the life lessons learned along the way were valuable. And sometimes you get lost in the day to day you forget about the symbolism of everyday life even though it is there waiting for you to notice it. I probably didn't need to go 1000's of miles to discover this but sometimes when you're in a new environment your everyday environment becomes more clear to see. 

Oh, I bet you're all wondering how Nico fared? He survived and he slept well (my biggest qualm about leaving of course after us leaving him parentless permanently due to one of those tragic accidents) and he had a TON of fun with his "TT" and it's questionable if he even was aware we were gone. Anyone knowledgeable on child development and memory and at this particular age if there is any lasting negative repercussions? Please anyone? Will he need therapy? I returned home Monday afternoon and Stefano stayed a few more days (told ya I'm the best wife) and Nico and I had our very own sweet reunion. Before I left Vegas, I told Steve that him being gone for those few days longer was too long to be away from Nico now that's he's older. Although, I feel Steve was also feeling the emptiness of being away from Nico too by then. In a conversation before he came home my husband told me that he's kinda "over" Vegas and that the next vacation will be together as a family again. Steve & Nico's reunion? Even sweeter than mine...I could tell as Nico wrapped his little arms around his daddy's neck and Steve's eyes filled with tears that the openness of those big fancy golf courses didn't hold a candle to the closeness of being in our home together as a family.

Las Vegas, you and your big fancy everything...you got nothing on us. 

XO. 

JLOVE AKA "Mommy"