It’s been almost a month since I got back from Bloggers in Sin City…and what a month it’s been. There have been some really happy, fun moments (My first radio interview! A fun getaway to Vancouver!) but also some very sad ones. Do you know what’s been getting me through the bad days? This video. Almie has once again worked her magic and created another stunning video of BiSC. People always ask me what it’s like to spend a weekend in Vegas with 68 bloggers and I think this video says it all. From “Ugly Fashion Shows” to fancy footwork, it’s all there! She even included a clip of me riding the mechanical bull. Enjoy!
BiSC 2013: Bloggers In Sin City from almie rose on Vimeo.
What many people don’t realize is that this year was the 5th and final year of Bloggers in Sin City….as in, the last one. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you know how much I’ve enjoyed going to #BiSC the past few years. When I told a non-blogger friend that this would be the last year for the un-conference, she responded by saying:
“What?! NOOOO. It’s ending?! WHAT ABOUT ALL THE BLOGGERS? ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO BE OK?”
Although it does make me a little misty eyed to think about Bloggers in Sin City coming to an end, I’ve had such an amazing three years and am so incredibly grateful for the experience. I think it was either Doni or Nicole who said that they’ve started to think of their 5 years at #BiSC not as separate events, but as one GIANT magical weekend. I like to think of it as a trilogy. This year’s Bloggers in Sin City was everything I’d hoped it would be & then some, making it the perfect conclusion to an epic 3-weekend long adventure. It’s time for a few final shout-outs!
Let the credits roll!
Over the past three years I’ve been truly blessed in the room-mate department and roomed with some of the smartest, funniest, nicest women I have ever met. In 2011 I roomed with Carly who is hilarious and the perfect partner in crime. Last year I roomed with the lovely Grace, who was sweet, kind and funny. This year I roomed with Kate from Suburban Sweetheart. She’s one of my favourite bloggers period and I’ve been wanting to meet her forever (ever since I started reading her blog 3+ years ago!) I was kind of nervous to meet her for the first time (what if she didn’t like me?!), but it turns out Kate is just as awesome & funny & amazing in person as I suspected she’d be (& then some!)
I’m so glad that we got to be room-mates. Finally getting to hang out with Kate in person was definitely one of the highlights of the trip!
Any good trilogy includes the introduction of a few new characters. After hearing me talk about Vegas non-stop for the past few years, my good friend Casey finally decided to take the plunge and join the mayhem this year. I’ve known Casey for over a decade and he’s awesome. At the risk of sounding totally geeky, it was so cool (and kind of surreal) to see one of my favourite “real life” friends meet my favourite “internet” friends. It was also Joe the Intern‘s first year at BiSC and I still don’t think he’s come down from the high (every time I mention anything about Vegas he does a bunch of backflips and the “running-man” around my office. I’m not sure what’s up with that except, VEGAS. YAY!)
The only thing I don’t like about BiSC is that there are always so many awesome people and only so much time. I absolutely loved the group this year and everyone new that I met was AWESOME. There are so many people I wish I’d been able to spend more time with, but hopefully that’s something that can happen in the future!
As someone who works from home and wears a lot of leggings a pants, one of the things I love about BiSC is that it’s 4-5 days where I actually get to wear real clothes. My favourite night is always the Saturday theme party. In 2011 we got decked out in black & gold, last year we got retro and did it up Mad Men style and this we had a fabulous White Party on the roof-top at Pure.
I never thought I would actually become emotionally attached to a hotel in Las Vegas, but that’s exactly how I feel about the Flamingo. From your white padded headboards and pink striped wallpaper, to your weird casino smell that vaguely resembles a mix of chocolate and mouthwash, I can’t quit you.
Lastly, Vegas wouldn’t be Vegas without some of these fine people. To Sad Mickey – thank you for being so sad and for perfectly embodying how most of us feel after spending 4 days in Vegas. To Edie, the host of Zumanity – I’m not sure who I like more: You or Almie’s impression of you. Either way, thanks for the throaty come ons. I will never think of the word “lover” in the same way again. To Rigo the bartender at the Flamingo pool – After the surprise grinding incident at the pool, you told me “I have just the thing for you!” and then handed me a drink that was 80% vodka and tasted like pure pineapple juice. You are my hero and your bar-tending skills are commendable. To Gilly, the Mechanical Bull: I’m sure you’ve done some things you regret and seen some things that can’t be unseen, and yet you still have some of the best dance moves on the strip. Thanks for the wild ride. You’re an inspiration to us all.
To the sticker of Donnie Osmond that used to reside in the lobby of the Flamingo: RIP.
Lastly, thank you Nicole for organizing & pouring your heart and soul into this amazing event. Over the past three years I’ve gone from being the girl who tentatively hopped on a roller-coaster to the woman who proudly mounted a mechanical bull in a crowded bar. Thank you for that.
Saying goodbye is always sad, but I feel a lot better about knowing that the friendships I’ve made over the past three years aren’t going anywhere. These are the people who will hold back your hair when you get sick, go with you to In & Out Burger when you’re hungover (even when they’d rather not) and say without hesitation things like,
“If you have to throw up, you can throw up on me.”
