How a Trip to Vegas Changed my Life

Finding the woman who was there first.

I’ll start by saying I’ve never been all that interested in Vegas. It’s glamorized everywhere you look and movies, songs, and entire personalities have been built around the idea of ‘sin city’. We’ve been once and that was for the exact same reason we went this time: Kylie Minogue. She was there for a concert in 2009 and we had to be there. Roberto and I were still only best friends back then, and along with his brother, got a hotel room at the MGM, and ended having a complete blast. We lined up all day to be front row general admission and made some incredible memories.

Fast forward 14 years and a LOT has changed. We are now married, with a three year old, a lot more grey hair, life experience, and it was time to go back… for Kylie. Not a lot of things could make me get on a plane and spend a good few thousand dollars on a trip, to Vegas of all places. But I knew going for Kylie with my husband and brother in law (and his new fiancé!) would have to be a good time.

I’m always honest with you and I’ll tell you that I was NOT excited to go. I was even dreading it a little. I felt drained, incapable of staying out late in the crowds. Cringing at the thought of the amount of energy output.

Let’s start with the why I wasn’t excited to go part. I’m a tired mom. The mom who carries the mental load, and has for years… the mom who balances it all, juggles it all, is the fixer, the planner, the worker, the do it all for everyone else. The one who has had ups and downs in business, relationships, and her marriage. The one whose marriage has been feeling the NEED for this. The one who went through years of fertility treatments, pregnancy, a baby during the pandemic, the pandemic itself… the one who forgot who she was. Where was she? The woman I once was? The funny thing is, I didn’t know I forgot who she was until I found her again… in Vegas, of all places.

I’m always of the mindset that I like being a homebody. I like planning the meals, doing the cooking, being cozy with dinner on the couch at 8pm with my husband, a sleeping baby and Netflix. Every night. Over the years, it just became US. It was who we were. And can you blame us? It’s kinda how things go in your late thirties and forties - you settle in, give in to the routine and don’t realize that along the way, you’ve forgotten the lightness and spontaneity of really just having FUN. 

I had questions before our Vegas trip: was I cool enough? Did I still have the stamina to go out every night and NOT fall asleep on the couch at 9pm? Let alone the Vegas wardrobe. Oh my… would I have to wear… heels?! Was spending the money worth it? Who was going to watch Lola for a whole FOUR nights and how would that go?! There were so many reasons going overwhelmed me and gave me second thoughts about going.

Well, it turns out you can still surprise yourself: I embraced Vegas and ended up having THE. BEST. TIME.

As moms, we get into our comfort bubbles and we really do lose that woman who was there first. The fun loving, light, all about me and quick to have a good time woman. Much to my surprise, she was in there and I found her! The light feeling of being me and enjoying the moment, being IN the moment, letting myself cut loose, have some drinks and not stress about the $20+ (USD!!) price tag for each cocktail. Dancing and feeling the music of the concert like I did in my early 20’s… it was MAGICAL and not only great for me, but truly so good for our marriage. Connecting with each other on this level was incredible and made us realize how much we missed our fun times together. I let go at the concert and bawled my eyes out because I realized… she was still in there! ME! And boy, did I miss her! And I did it in my fave runners, no heels required (above is a pic of us before the Kylie concert - I wasn’t planning on that top but my first option didn’t work as well as I thought, and I didn’t bring a lot of options. Guess what?! I had fun regardless!)

I’m going to say something I *cringe* at, but I did have a spiritual awakening of sorts.

Maybe it’s not a Vegas trip, but getting into The Mom Flow means connecting with yourself, your partner, and knowing how that makes you not just a better parent but because it’s good for YOU without being a service to anyone else. That it’s not selfish, frivolous or self-indulgent and you shouldn’t ever feel guilty about it. If you have the chance to just let loose for even a night out dancing to really good music, letting yourself not think about your kids at home, the to-do list that never ends, the sick parent, the grief, the worry, the seriousness, the work, the schedules, the “am I enough?” feelings.  We were not mom and dad for the four days in Vegas, we were Erin and Roberto. Oh. My. God. It is just so essential and what I wish for all of you! 

The connection to myself, my partner, to the side of my being that I love so much. I can’t wait to tell Lola all about it one day.

I’ll be back with a full Vegas round up of all the things in a few days, but for now, I’m feeling the magic and writing this as a reminder to both you AND me: have the fun! Take the trip! Say YES. You won’t regret it. 

P.S: And I’ll tell you how Kylie Minogue slid into my DM’s in my Vegas recap post. Talk about MAGIC ✨

xx, Erin