This past weekend I was in Las Vegas for the WLSFA’s Mother of All Meet and Greets. I had the pleasure of spending time with some old friends, and the honor of meeting some great new ones. I’m still trying to digest all that happened, so this post will be more a recap than a reflection, but hopefully enjoyable for those of you who were unable to make it.

Beth, Andrea, and I made the decision to fly in on Wednesday to maximize our time together. Living so far apart really is not convenient to our friendship! We were able to catch up a little and relax, then we planned to hit the ground running on Thursday. The conference was at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino, an off-strip location.

The Palace Station (Photo Credit: Andrea Ullberg)

Okay, so maybe hitting the ground running was a bit of an exaggeration. We were all awake at 5:00 AM, Beth and I due to the time difference, and Andrea due to a migraine. (Yes, we really are a fun crowd.) After failing miserably to all back asleep, we got up, got ready, and headed downstairs for breakfast. Kudos to our waitress for understanding that Andrea uses superhuman amounts of Splenda and leaving a coffee cup full of yellow packets. Others would not be so wise.

On the agenda for the day was a visit to the strip. We were still a good two hours away from the first shuttle of the day, but we were too antsy to sit in the hotel for that long. Andrea still wasn’t feeling well, so she stayed behind to rest while Beth and I started to walk. Long story short, I took us on a little accidental detour through industrial Las Vegas. (Sorry, Beth!). Neither Beth nor her feet were too pleased with me. But, ultimately, we made it to our destination in one piece and even found Beth some new shoes on the strip that helped temporarily and will help a lot at future events.

The strip is always unbelievable to me, and this trip was no exception. I simply can’t believe how much decadence and expense is concentrated in that small area. The casinos, the hotels, the shopping, the restaurants. And the people partaking! After wandering for a while, we made it to our first destination, Fashion Show Mall, where we were supposed to meet Andrea, who was planning to take the hotel shuttle. Beth was on a mission to find specific garments for her guest appearance in Diva Taunia’s burlesque show, so we accomplished that and found her some comfier, sturdier shoes.

Then, we met up with Andrea and another WLSer, Linda, and started to wander the strip. We started at the Wynn, admiring the gorgeous flowers, both in and outside of the casino.

Andrea & Me at the Wynn (Photo Credit: Andrea Ullberg)

I had a little Sound of Music moment in the Wynn and, with Beth’s urging, spun around in the middle of the entrance. What can I say? I’m easily convinced. We window shopped in the boutiques of Chanel and Dior, watching others carry out bags with horribly expensive names on them. However, we were content to admire the gorgeous designs of the hotel for free, just taking pictures. The Wynn really was gorgeous.

From the Wynn, we went to the Palazzo and the Venetian, which are both attached. More expensive stores and gorgeous design. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant called I <3 Burgers, where I once again failed to even finish my half of a meal. Yes, at over two years out, I still have a good deal of restriction. Andrea and Beth can both attest to that.

We spent a lot of time in the Venetian, which is just gorgeous. We could have stood and listened to the gondoliers sing all day. However, none of us were willing to shell out the $16/person it cost to ride. That’s what happens when the broke bloggers travel to events. We watch and listen, but don’t partake. We spend our money on food and coffee, not entertainment.

Kaitlin & Beth at the Venetian (Photo Credit: Andrea Ullberg)

By the time we were finished wandering through the Venetian, we were all exhausted. We tried to catch the shuttle back to the hotel, but the instructions on the website were flat-out wrong and outdated, so we ended up taking a cab.

After a little rest, we ventured downstairs for a quick dinner at Subway. (Thanks, Liz!) We took a quick stop at the penny slots, where I won $42 off of $2 borrowed from Andrea, so we both ended up $20 richer for the night. Later that night, we might Rob from Former Fat Dudes, who is just as nice a guy in real life as he is online. We all headed over to the Stratosphere to watch Ian from the BTV Forums literally jump off the top of the building to raise money for the WLSFA. Insane! Once that was over, the bad girls were more than ready to go to bed. After all, it was about 11:00 PM.

Friday ended up being another day on the strip day. This time, Andrea, Beth, and I were joined by Rob, Linda, and Shelly (Eggface), for even more fun! We picked up where we had left off, hitting Treasure Island, the Mirage, and the Bellagio (and probably even more that I’m forgetting). Once again, everything was just beautiful. I was especially fond of the gardens in the Bellagio. Some of my favorite pictures of the trip came from that location.

Shelly, Kaitlin & Beth at the Bellagio (Photo Credit: Andrea Ullberg)

We didn’t stay out as long on Friday, as we had to go back to the hotel to get ready for the evening’s opening reception, sponsored by Celebrate Vitamins. Beth stole Andrea’s camera to take pictures of the event, and Andrea and I sat in the back with our soon-to-be favorite vendor, Amy of Slimpressions.

Friday evening saw many awards handed out and … a wedding! Diva Taunia and Rob got married! It was a very sweet ceremony and a happy occasion for all. After the wedding, there was some mingling. We didn’t stay too long, knowing that we would need to be back at 6:00 the next morning to set up our table.

And that 6:00 hour came quick. But the BBGC rose to the occasion, and our table looked great!

Beth, Andrea & Kaitlin at the BBGC Table

We had Click samples, WLS Vitagarten Lab Tracker Notebooks, BBGC advocacy sheets, and BBGC t-shirts and bracelets. Plus your cheery bariatric bad girls themselves! It was a blast talking to our fellow WLSers throughout the day. We had a great turnout at our table.

I also got to go over and model some Slimpressions shapewear on the BTV cameras during the day. I’ll have a full review later in the week, but I’ve got to tell you, this stuff is amazing! I was wearing Target shapewear before, and I thought it was doing a good job, but it doesn’t even begin to compare AT ALL. Not even close. You get what you pay for.

I realized partway through the event that I also officially had my master’s degree. I officially graduated with my M.A. in Political Science on Saturday. So, I’ve got letters behind my name. Not that they mean that much in the grand scheme of things since I’ll start work towards my Ph.D. in August, but still. I’ve got another degree.

After working the table all day, we grabbed dinner at the casino’s Mexican restaurant before heading upstairs to change for the evening’s gala, which was sponsored by Bariatric Advantage. It featured entertainment by the Diva Taunia Dolls (and some special guests, including Beth and Lynnda and Toni from BTV) and then some very loud music. The burlesque show was a hoot, but we ended up going somewhere a bit quieter with some new friends to chat instead of watching the drunken dancing that had started up toward the end.

Overall, I had a great time in Vegas. I was very sad to leave, mostly because of how hard it is for me to say goodbye to my dear friends. I talk to them every day, but it is not the same as being able to hug them or turn to them and ask a question.

For all of you that weren’t there, I wish you had been. It’s such a treat to meet online friends. I can’t wait to meet more of my virtual friends at this year’s OH events!