Although I have many great memories with my family on various vacations, my most memorable trip to date is one that I took with four of my closest friends to Las Vegas. We had taken many trips together in the past, but this time we vowed to make it the most incredible trip of our lives. I really value my time with my friends because I can “let loose” and be more free to express myself than when I am with my family or with other people that I may not know. With my friends, I can spend hours being silly, joking, laughing, and never feel as though I have to censor my feelings or behaviors. My friends and I have been through a lot together-not only are they are source of fun and entertainment; they have also been there for me through some tough times in my life. I feel as though I can talk to them about anything, without any judgment cast, and most importantly, I have full trust in this particular group of friends, which I feel as though is key to any relationship.

After hearing all of the “buzz” about Vegas for many years, my friends and I finally decided that we needed to see what all of the hype was about. We met one evening at my house to finalize our plans, including the booking of the plane tickets and the hotel room. For one, we wanted to make sure that we were all on the same flight and seated near each other, so we decided that it was best to book the ticket under one reservation, which meant that one person had to put this on his credit card and the rest of us would pay him in cash. Normally, people may be hesitant to do this, but we have a very strong and trusting relationship, where there is no question that everyone would fulfill their end of the bargain. It was decided that my friend Amir would put the airline tickets on his credit card (because he gets bonus points) and before the trip; we would all pay him back (and that is exactly what we did). The same went for the hotel room, which I put on my credit card.

We were all very excited about which hotel to book because there are so many choices, with so many amazing features and amenities. Although we had some differing of opinions on this, we decided to use a fair and amicable strategy to pick our final destination. We all picked our top two favorites out of a choice of 12 (with pros and cons of each), which we then shared with each other. After that, we read each other’s choices and descriptions and decided on a final and blind vote (each person put their choice in a hat) and then we chose the one with the most votes. It was the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino that we finally decided on booking. It was reasonably priced, had a great 3-acre outdoor pool, with many restaurants, performances, and was within close proximity to the rest of the hotels and area attractions.

On the day of the trip we were all so excited we could barely sleep, so it was good that out flight was very early in the morning. Out total trip lasted about six hour to reach Las Vegas, with a short layover in L.A. We then took a taxicab to the hotel and there we decided to make a tentative itinerary of places that we wanted to visit and possible shows that we wanted to see. We were there only for three days, so we wanted to make the most of our stay. We all agreed that we wanted to visit the Bellagio’s water show and conservatory, the M&M Factory, and the Fall of Atlantis and shops at Caesars. Although we don’t gamble, we still wanted to check out the casinos and see all of the different games that people play there. Also, we wanted to have one nice dinner in Vegas since we heard that Vegas boasts some of the best steak houses in the country, we decided to do a little research and find a restaurant that we would all enjoy. After going through several menus, we decided on Wolfgang Puck’s famous Cut restaurant at the Palazzo.

The first day we were all a little tired from the travel, and since it was a beautiful day, we decided to take advantage and relax by the beautiful pool at our hotel. We span, played some games, ate some appetizers, listened to music, and took naps throughout most of the day. After freshening up, we decided to go out on the town and explore some of the other hotels. We took a walk to the M&M Factory, took some funny photos, and ate a lot of chocolate. We then headed to the Bellagio to check out the conservatory and fountain show. The hotel is absolutely spectacular and the conservatory was full of exotic flowers and unique decorations. The fountain show was also amazing, where the fountains moved to the rhythm of various songs, such as Billie Jean and the Pink Panther. I have never seen anything like it. We then grabbed a quick bite to eat at a local sandwich shop so that we could go check out the casinos. We saw the casino at the Bellagio, Venetian, and MGM Grand. It was unbelievable to see the number of roulette machines, table games, and betting room for sports. There was even a poker room for serious players. We were all stunned because it is something you often see in movies, but to see it with your own two eyes, is something completely different. We watched several card games where people were betting $2,000 a hand on a game of blackjack.

The next day we again spent some time at the pool after having breakfast at our hotel and decided to go explore the amazing shops at Caesar’s palace and also see the Fall of Atlantis show that is featured there. We decided to split up for some time so that everyone could do their own shopping and afterwards we met up for the show. The highlight of the day; however, was our delicious dinner at Cut. We all ordered steaks and some sides to share and we all agreed that they were the best steaks we ever had. We made sure to take plenty of pictures and savor every scrumptious bite. We headed back to the hotel early because we had an early flight to catch and a long travel back home. We did make sure to take one last picture in front of the hotel, with the huge guitar towering over us. We asked one of the bellboys because we wanted to all be in the picture to remember this trip forever.

All in all, this trip was the best trip I have ever taken in my entire life and it is one that I will never forget. We all made sure to send each other copies of all of our photos, but the one in front of the hotel is my favorite and stands out in my mind the most. With the sun setting in the background and the illuminated portions of the building and massive guitar, with a rare photo featuring all of us laughing, it really is a memorable photo. It is an experience I will forever treasure and it is one that we are already planning to repeat.