Sin City, Part II.

So I'm sitting here writing this while I watch King of the Hill and finish up some laundry. Tomorrow, I depart for my first trip to Atlantic City. Yes, you're right, I didn't even wrap up my last adventure in Vegas. Well, better late than never, right? OK. Let's finish this up: (This is admittedly a half-assed post. I promise for better ones).


Daytime Shenanigans

For amazing burgers and adult shakes, go to Holsteins in the Cosmo.

For amazing steaks, go to the Ruths Chris Steakhouse. I know it's a chain. But the food is still amazing.

For a decent burger place in a nice part of the city to go walking, go to Strip Burger.

For an escape from the city for a day, rent quads and go out to the desert for a few hours.

For the tacky, expected Vegas experience, talk to all of the annoying salesman or promoters on the strip during the day.

For cheap gambling, go to Old Vegas. It's really cool to see what Vegas used to be like when the mob ran it. Go to the Golden Nugget. Also, there's nice restaurants here for much cheaper and more reasonable than the main strip.

For a fun themed casino with even a roller coaster, go to NY, NY.



Nightlife Reviews

Sunday night we attended Hakkasan. If you like stairs, this is the club for you. There's many floors- some dedicated to house/EDM music, some dedicated to hip hop. But MAN is there a ton of stairs. Only thing I wasn't a fan of. That, and perhaps the walkways should have been designed for the mass amounts of people. Other than that, imagine literally a forest with tons of trails- each curvy trail eventually leads to an opening: either a bar area, dance floor or lounge area. Exploring through that place was amazing. Your typical club is more square-like. So in my opinion, that is what truly separated Hakkasan from any other club I've ever been to. That, and the stairs. ... So go here if you want to get lost amongst a maze of house music dance floors.

Monday night, we attended the XS night club. This club, though not possessing the same unique flow design as Hakkasan, was absolutely my preference. Cedric Gerbais was playing. It was impossible NOT to have a good time; and you didn't feel like you were struggling for some space. The venue had one large dance floor in the middle with two bars off to either side of it- with bottle service areas near the front and far off to both sides, beyond the bars. It was Monday and the club was packed. We struck up a lot of conversations with Australians and Canadians- who would have thought. That being said, Australians are everywhere in Vegas... So go here if you want a traditional Vegas clubbing experience.

Tuesday night, we went to Pure. I can't say there was anything truly special about this club, other than the fact that it was in Las Vegas and drew a giant crowd. The music was solely hip hop, which was a nice change from the mostly house music we had seen so far. Once again, on a Tuesday, the place was mobbed. You know those night clubs you go to and they just aren't fun? Like, everyone just kind of stands around angrily staring at each other, or texting, or along those lines? Well, after our third night partying in Vegas, we had yet to see that. It was refreshing. I know, it's Vegas...but it was nice to actually go out and not regret it.... So go here if you want a break from the house and EDM.

Wednesday night, we got into a bit of a fight. Well, mostly caused by lack of sleep. We went to the Surrender night club. This club was small, and also across the hall from the XS night club in the Encore hotel. We showed up a bit too early this night, and the bouncer told us it was Locals night; we already felt like it might be our first bad clubbing experience in Vegas. However by 11:30pm the place was filled with the same usual International and LA crowd as all the other venues. This was probably not a club I'd go running back to; it's mostly outside with a large pool in the middle not made for swimming. To the side is a tiny, small packed dance floor that is not maneuverable. Pretty much nothing special about this club. The only positive was that it was the same fun atmosphere due to the people; you know, the mentality to have fun given any circumstance... So go here if you can't get in anywhere else.

Thursday night, we went to The Bank in the Bellagio. Basically, this is the club envisioned by every hater of club-going. Take the worst things about clubbing and combine them into one club- all the exaggerations. Sleezy, rude bouncers that won't let you in without a bribe, rude, angry club goers with shallow personalities, a crappy dance floor with awful sound system/ no DJ in a midst of a city that prides itself on all of it's world-renowned live-in DJ's. What happened? Did we leave Vegas and end up back in CT? Hell, I've even had more fun at bars in Hartford... So, go here if you want an awful clubbing experience.

Friday night: Well ladies and gentleman, we bit the bullet and pre-bought the expensive Avicii tickets to Jay Z's famous Marquee night club in the Cosmo. This was by all means the grand finale to an amazing week. This club, took the cake; take all of the good things from the XS (big open spaces, centralized dance floors), Hakkasan (multiple floors and big rooms depending on your taste), Pure ( Well, it's Jay Z's club; naturally great hip hop dance floors) and Surrender (Poolside drinking, but on the rooftop of a building) and put them together. You can't not have fun at this club. Also, it was Friday, and as ridiculous as the club crowds were during the weekdays, they were on a whole new level this Friday. We made the right move getting tickets early. We would have never gotten in other wise... So go here if you want the ultimate clubbing experience.

Penny Wise and Dollar Foolish

At least that's what John Taffer likes to say on Bar Rescue. That show is amazing. I am more addicted than I thought I could be to a t.v. show. It literally trumped all my other favorites...How I Met Your Mother, The Office, Big Bang Theory, and Breaking Bad. Also Arrested Development...man am I excited for that reunion season.

...Anyways, yes, I'm terrible with saving money. Given I haven't exactly been religiously budgeting at all- I pretty much eat out every meal, have changed my car three times in the past year (sticking with the Infiniti though), had quite the expensive Vegas vacation, ... you get the picture. The money's flying out the window. But that's okay. I'm a year out of college and FINALLY feel like it's behind me.

So what have I been up to these past few months?
Well,
-I am working the same job as always.
-I am still living in Danbury.
-I had the most amazing vacation of my life in Las Vegas, Nevada. Yes this trumped Europe- call me uncultured- I call myself awesome ;)

I could start off giving some mediocre explanation of my life and thoughts these past few months in Danbury- but I think I'll spare you the misery and delve right into the good stuff- VEGAS!

It all started off New Year's Eve 2012. I had just gotten back to my apartment after a trip to Los Angeles for a Leadership conference. I had some friends coming over for the night. Why Danbury was our big epic party location for New Years I will never know. But anyways. That weekend, my close friend from college was talking about planning a vegas trip. Coincidentally enough, my close friend from home was planning his own. It was only a matter of time before they decided to "combine" the trip.

 At the time we thought it would be way more people. I was thinking college friends, friends from home, etc. But, as everyone knows, people talk up the ass and end up bailing with excuses of lack of money or bad timing. One guy even said "I have no interest in going to vegas." (Loser!). So, it only ended up being those two guys, myself, and then a fourth who actually lived out there for work. However, as this story will explain, we had the perfect number.

There is definitely a certain feeling that overcomes you when your airplane lands on Vegas soil and it's your first time. "Are the rumors true?" "Is this place really the adult playground?" "What happens in vegas..."

Our first night was spent at our friends place who lives in a really nice gated community outside the hustle and bustle of the city. For a first night, this was perfect. Perfect night time desert air, and the feeling that this week was going to be beyond epic. By the way...as the rules do dictate, the DETAILS of what happens in Vegas, stay in Vegas. So the shenanigans that began Friday night are not going to be posted here. Sorry to disappoint.

Saturday morning was our first morning in Vegas. Man was it gorgeous. Cool, sunny, and amazing canyon views everywhere. Everyone was eager in anticipation of our badass suite for the week (the three of us really couldn't resist being right on the strip, so the rest of the vacation was in a suite in the MGM Grand). So we loaded up our cart at the discount liquor store, got some amazing west coast fast food, and headed for Sin City.

Arriving to our suite was more than overwhelming. Everyone around us was just so damn happy. We checked in, let our stuff down, and checked out the hotel ground floor. Full casino, restaurants, shops, badass giant outdoor pool equipped with alcoholic slushie bars, a lazy river and even a daytime pool club.  We knew we were in for it that week.

After we all got our 36 inch tall alcoholic beverages, we headed and chilled by the pool until it closed. We then went to dinner at a place called Strip Burger. I'd put it as decent- definitely good food but nothing to rave about. After dinner, went back to the hotel and started getting ready to go out. (Keep in mind, we were going to be three (the fourth is not much of the night owl) dudes going out in Vegas on a Saturday night without being on a guest list anywhere). We realize how dumb that sounds now, but at the time, we had no idea what we were in for.

We headed downstairs in search of a club called "Tabu" only to find out it had been permanently closed. Replacing it was Hakkasan, the new MGM club put together by the Saudi Prince who was determined to use it to take down all over Vegas clubs and steal their DJ's due to some reason I can't remember. Well, man's club must have been amazing because the wait for three guys was 2 hours with a $75 dollar cover. We were too drunk and pissed off at this point to bother waiting on line. Instead, we wandered the strip. Well gentlemen (and ladies), let me tell you. The strip on a Saturday night is filled with two things. Hookers and guys who want to take you to Hookers in limos. Anyone who wanted to get anywhere fun was already there- and we were being hounded on the streets because we had nowhere to go.

At this point I was having my own internal breakdown. "Wow, it's all fake...Vegas is NOT legit..." "It's all traps"... And then at that point, being overly tired, I went home. My two friends stayed out. I figured if anything exciting happened I'd hear about it the next morning anyway. So I went home and did some research. Turns out getting into clubs as three guys is not that hard in vegas if you know how to use a credit card online. I bought us tickets for Monday to Wednesday at three of the highest rated night clubs, and called it a night.

The next morning I got the scoop- turns out I didn't miss much. What a surprise. We talked about the embarassing stories that happened over lunch- then I headed to the casino to gamble. Sitting at a roulette table in Vegas by yourself is actually fun. If you play the outside bets you'll stay alive for a long time- and talk to people from all over the world. Australia, Canada, England were the big ones. When I finished up at the table I had a missed call. I called back and I hear "yo, come to the pool club, Deadmau5 is here". So I headed off with my small winnings (that would change throughout the week) and went to the pool club.

After somehow sneaking past the bouncers unwillingly, I skipped the $50 fee to get in so immediately I knew I got my money's worth. Pool club was pretty badass- basically a bunch of young people drunk and splashing around in a bag ass pool while deadMau5 spun some beats. Oh, and my friends met a recruiter before I got there that gave them half price admission and VIP line access to Hakkasan that night. Things were really starting to look up.


...wow, I'm on day three of eight. So much more to tell. But for now I'm tired. I'll leave you with this- the background to the true kickoff of the vacation Sunday night. Peace.

Almost Four Months Later.

Welcome back to another exciting excerpt of the Stefan chronicles. It's been almost four months since my last post, around which time I was getting ready to move and rambling something about decision making. Well, I did move. And I turned 22! Let's start from the top.

Yes, I turned 22 in November. If you look at aging like a mountain, from the time you're born you're climbing the mountain and age 21 is the top. Once you hit the top of the mountain, I'm sure you've all heard the saying "It's all downhill from here." Well, it's true. And I don't want to hear any of the bullshit about "Your life actually STARTS when college ends!" It's simply not true. Never will you have such a chill schedule unless you hit the lottery or day trade. I'm looking for a safe steady living, so for me that lifestyle is out. That's not me saying I haven't adjusted to this lifestyle- I've gone leaps and bounds towards fully adjusting. I think by summer the transformation will be complete. 

So what has happened in a nutshell in the past four months? 

-I turned 22.

-I moved to Connecticut. 

-I got into graduate school.

-I attended a leadership conference in Anaheim, CA. 

-I had some failed endeavors with women.

-Random less important shenanigans. 

I already elaborated on my age a bit- but was set off pace rambling about my new lifestyle. In short, it's scary to think in four years my whole facial structure will be different. Yes, take a closer look to your 26-28 year old friends. 22/23 year olds look SIGNIFICANTLY younger than someone turning 26. It's crazy. That's what I've deduced and it scares me; I'll look like a full adult in four years. For now I could still pose as someone still in college and sometimes still even get the double take when I tell people I'm a professional in the workforce. But 26 is around the corner- especially with how fast time flies these days. Moral of the story: 26 is when I officially recognize people as "adults". Party hard until then, all you youngins. 

So...Danbury is not exactly a bumpin city. Not so say I took advantage of the 40 minute train ride into the city I had in White Plains or the superior White Plains bar scene as much as I should have- but my friends are all back there. So I've mostly been hopping around CT and NY to visit people I know on weekends. Occasionally friends will come visit me here and we'll agree on a mediocre night at one of Danbury's so perfectly mediocre bars. I need to meet more people in the area, but it definitely won't come easy. 

Yes, I got into graduate school. But my original plan that seemed so straight forward was derailed by simple logic. So, my original plan was to go in for management of technology. It makes sense, right? I want to manage one day. Get the degree out of the way now going at night- when I finish I'll be 26 with five years of work experience and two degrees- I could go anywhere. This was my vision. But have you ever seen a 26 year old manager? Who would respect him? Especially managing a bunch of senior engineers with brains three times the size of mine. So what's the answer? Go for mechanical engineering instead, better my technical skills to make me a better manager later in life? Not go to graduate school at all until I'm 30? I simply don't know. A masters in engineering is a cringe worthy notion; I'm by no means a "dumb"  dude but come on, 40 hours of practical engineering and some more studying of it on the side? Damn. However, the benefits would be great. A masters makes you more marketable. Decisions, decisions. 

Anaheim is a wonderful place. It was nice to escape the cold winter chill for some fall-esque and on days days May-type weather. Disneyland is pleasant- and meeting bros from other chapters makes you realize how nerdy your own chapter was. So the convention made me want to join staff- I think it's in the works. But yes- I want to go back to Anaheim at some point. Also explore more of Los Angeles. For sure the people were friendly- but anything beats New England. It triggered a long term goal of eventually leaving the Northeast for a warmer, slower paced lifestyle elsewhere in this country. But for now I don't even know where to take my next level of education, so in the immortal words of Bob Saget as Ted Moseby, "But, more on that later."

As for the failed endeavors with women. Well, let me emphasize how important communication is. And picking someone who knows what they want. But to do that, make sure you know what you want beforehand. I'm sparing you the gossipy details to discuss a bigger topic- men and women always blaming the entire other gender for sucking. Men AND women mess up. Often times men will lead women on implying a relationship-esque lifestyle to come so they can hook up. And often times women dead any guy attempting to even talk to them yet complain they can't find a man. (Either this or keep a guy around who clearly likes them because they enjoy the attention- creating false hope in the poor man's eyes).  Both sides get annoying to hear about. The moral of this story is give people the benefit of the doubt. And don't use past experiences to pre-judge new people. Men, make it clear what you're looking for up front. Don't lead a girl on because you'll break her heart. And ladies, for the love of God cut a guy loose if you don't like him. That shit ain't right. I don't want to hear any of that "Oh, I don't go out of my way to talk to him- he contacts me and I respond." You're endorsing it- make it clear what you want as well. And if it's not him, communicate that. And that doesn't mean respond with vague, small glimmer of hope texts when he asks to hang out. And with regards to not having a man- be friendly at the bars. Don't cluster up with your three girlfriends all night and expect to meet anyone. 

Random less important shenanigans  let's just say I'm gladly staying in touch with many friends from college and the ones who counted from high school. I couldn't be more thankful for that. No one likes to be lonely.

So now you're all caught up; see you next time. Perhaps I'll have my education situation figured out by then.