Well, I did it. I got through this weekend and today (on 4 hours sleep thanks to a plane delay and icy highways all along I-79 South) so, I am officially back in the "real world". Las Vegas is definitely like a parallel universe. Even the trip there, flying over the Grand Canyon and deserts, was like landing on an alien planet. The conference was good, pretty much as I expected it to be. I was happy to discover that I was WAY over-prepared and had thought out my presentation a lot more than most--especially the seasoned professionals. My talk went well and people responded with lots of questions so, that made me feel like I at least piqued their attention. I didn't know anyone at the conference but people were nice and talked with me quite a bit. My touring of the city was alone, which was sad and made me miss my honey-- especially when practically everyone there was part of a couple-- but I liked it; it was like taking myself on a rather extended date. I don't understand women
who can't be alone. If you can't stand to be around just yourself, how can you expect anyone else to enjoy it? I wined and dined myself, took myself on long, romantic walks and even *gasp* took myself to bed; I'm really quite shameless ;)These are just a few of my favorite shots from The Venetian (above), Caesar's Palace (right), the Paris (bottom left) and the desert outside the Las Vegas city limits from the airplane(bottom right). There are some rather impressive sites in Vegas, though there is also a lot of tacky crap. "Sin City" is just Disney World for American adults. Americans too narrow-minded and/or classless to go to these places in the real world (i.e. Italy, France, Greece, etc.) because, God forbid, they have to actually learn to speak another language, eat 
unfamiliar food and accept the value in other cultures. And gambling, don't get me started. Any kind of lottery or gambling is just a way for businesses to take advantage of the poor and uneducated. These people would spend money on slot machines, card games and jackpot tickets (I worked at a convenience store for a bit, I saw it happen), then use food stamps or welfare for food. Tell me that makes sense. Wanna get rich? GET A JOB AND WORK!
unfamiliar food and accept the value in other cultures. And gambling, don't get me started. Any kind of lottery or gambling is just a way for businesses to take advantage of the poor and uneducated. These people would spend money on slot machines, card games and jackpot tickets (I worked at a convenience store for a bit, I saw it happen), then use food stamps or welfare for food. Tell me that makes sense. Wanna get rich? GET A JOB AND WORK! On the positive side, I saw and met lots of characters. I have enough "fodder for fiction" to last me a whole collection of short stories. West Coast people are a different breed from East Coast people-- the way they talk, dress, think, etc. It's very interesting how the same country can produce such distinct representatives. I think I'd like to live on the West Coast for a bit in the future. I met the coolest women from Seattle; I could totally live there. Biodiesel cars, eco-friendly highways, Birkenstocks, coffee, rainy weather...what more could I ask for? Plus, on the West Coast my language affinities are seen as an asset, not a oddity. Here in WV, loving to speak Spanish and Portuguese and a fascination with those cultures is met with, "Where did that come from? When will you use it? What kind of job can you get with that?", whereas on the West
Coast people say, "Oh, really? That's great. I have been studying it myself for __ years. It's really harder than people think. You know, you could get a job in 5 seconds where I live in California." (sigh) I guess I was just born on the wrong side of the country...or the world, maybe both. All in all, it was a valuable learning experience: I practiced a lot of Spanish, watched a few telenovelas and a Mexican soccer game, gave my first professional paper presentation, got to see a new city and traveled utterly alone for the very first time. Now that I know that I can do it, I feel secure that--no matter where I end up for my Ph.D.-- I'll be just fine.
Coast people say, "Oh, really? That's great. I have been studying it myself for __ years. It's really harder than people think. You know, you could get a job in 5 seconds where I live in California." (sigh) I guess I was just born on the wrong side of the country...or the world, maybe both. All in all, it was a valuable learning experience: I practiced a lot of Spanish, watched a few telenovelas and a Mexican soccer game, gave my first professional paper presentation, got to see a new city and traveled utterly alone for the very first time. Now that I know that I can do it, I feel secure that--no matter where I end up for my Ph.D.-- I'll be just fine.
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