Flying Home

The next series of post will be about my recent trip in April 2010. I will be blogging backwards in time (Memento style) because I remember the more recent stuff better and hopefully it will jog my memory on the earlier part of the trip.
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I am in the cab, on my way to McCarran Airport, flights leaves in about an hour. I say to myself, I should of left early.

Traffic is light and I make it to the American Airlines check-in. Tip the cab driver a job well done. He was happy. Print my boarding pass and I ran with my two bags to the D gate.

First, the security checkpoint. The line is long but moving. There are two TSA agents checking tickets and ID. Hurry up.

In front of me are a group of girls, fake tan, big sunglasses, wearing Juicy Couture warmup outfits, wannabe Cali girls I say to myself. One of them had a T-Square (gold thong sticking out, sweat pants low). She was good looking and had a nice body but no time.

I move past security and off to the terminal tram. 45 min to go.

Finally made it to the gate, D37. Get a text from AA, it's on time. Look for a seat, found one with a white girl who has tattoos of written chinese on both of her arms. Lame.

If your not Chinese, what's the point of getting your name and the word "Enduring and Strong" in written Chinese. Anyways, she was standby and the flight was full. Too bad, so sad.

I was Group 5 and almost the last to board. No big deal, my seat was 10A, so I should be out quick when it lands. I get ready to board. As you all have experienced, when flying solo, it's always a crapshoot who you sit next to.

I was just hoping for no kids, families, old people and big-tall guys. When I actually got on the plane, I scanned ahead. There was a very attractive girl with sunglasses who I think is near my section. She gets up and moves her bag to the other overhead bin. I put my bag next to hers.

I look at my ticket 10A, that is correct. She sits in 10B. Score!!!

She was about to sit down.

"I think I got the seat next to you, the windowless seat"

With a big smile on my face, I went to sit down. And there is no window in section 10 in a Boeing 737.

So at this point, everything is pretty normal, I go put my other bag under my seat, take off my flip flops and put my seatbelt on. I noticed she was wearing a designer t-shirt that showed off her shoulder, leggings, ballet shoes, Chanel sunglasses. So this girl has style.

Everything was pretty much silent. I was trying to think of a opening line but nothing really popped up. Her seatbelt got caught under my seat, so I helped her untangle it. She gave me a accented "thank you" and a beautiful smile.

There was another women (older) in 10C and she started to talk to the girl I was sitting next to. I overheard their conversation and I jumped in.

"Where are you flying to?"

"London, connecting flight in Chicago"

"How long is your layover?"

"40 min"

"But I don't have to go through customs."

"That's nice"

So it's a start.

Take off, she pulls a folder out, looks like notes and a syllabus. I'll let her do a thing.

I pulled out (that's what she said) my folder full of receipts and get ready to do my reimbursement. I organized the business cards I collected, sorted and entered the relevant ones on my phone.

So pretty much taking care of business, flipped through a networking (cisco) book. She pulls out her iPod and it sounds like she is listening to some euro mix. I guess conversation will have to continue another time.

I had loaded up some "The Office" on the BB trying to catch up on Season 5. They were showing "When in Rome" on the flight back, I will pass.

She falls asleep and leans towards me, not exactly resting on my shoulder but close enough. 3 episodes later and the sun sets. She gets up and goes to the back, when she came back, I really looked over her.

Wow. Overall body nice. She had her sunglasses off by now. She is definitely European. Still trying to figure out the country.

She smiled. What a beautiful face.

So the movie is over, they are just showing random stuff like previews for SceneIt the game.

They had a 80's section preview and on-screen was clues for Gremlins. I asked her do you know what movie that is from?

"Gremlins"

"Yep"

I was pretty much nailing all the 80's trivial there were throwing up there. A couple of Ferris Bueller scenes which I definitely nailed (I am from Chicago). It was nice to be playing along with her.

I turned my head over to talk to her and just inches away face to face and saw her most striking features which were her beautiful grey eyes and flawless skin.


"So what are you doing in the States"

"I am visiting my boyfriend in the Vegas?"

That was probably the most devastating word I have ever heard recently. I turn facing the seats.



"Wow, long distance."

"So, where are you from?"

"I go to school in London."

"I have one left year left in my degree."

At this point I knew she was from France after talking to her and looking at her syllabus which was in French obviously.

I continue to talk to her some more because she is a real nice girl and she's from France. Just mostly about traveling, schools and the states.

Then I get back to pressing the issue.

"So how long were you in Vegas?"

"Two days"

"So you are telling me you are traveling half a day each way. GMT is -8. Staying only 2 days"

"I know."

What a sweet voice.

"He's a lucky guy, he should be traveling to you"

"I know"

She saw that I was disappointed but what can she do.

We continue to shoot the breeze, she was telling me that she was trying to get to the other concourse in O'Hare. I looked over her map, she will probably make it but will have to hurry since she had 40 min between flights.

The plane lands. We go get our bags from the overhead bin. Sitting in row 10 helps since as soon as the door opens, exiting the plane is much quicker.

I tell her to go and to have a safe flights back.

She turns back and says "thanks, bye bye" smiles and her body language acknowledge my attempt "thanks for trying, I don't mind being hit on and I know I am hot."

She disappears in the crowd and that's the last I seen of her. I take a slow walk to baggage claims.

Thinking, Vegas, London, France, WTF.

It's all good. I tried and now I know.

Vegas has a funny feeling over me, every time I go there it gives me a super confidence boost, a girl like that I would never try to talk to and I am glad I did.

Overall, the trip was great, one of my best. I stayed 11 days and 10 nights, which is possible. 5 of those nights at Aria @CityCenter, the best new resort, hotel and casino. Vegas is what you make of it. So fuck those retards who says they can't stay in Vegas for more than 3-4 days, clearly you have been watching too many movies. It is sensory overload but I got used to it after trip 4 of 14. Just go with the flow and make it your own.

I gambled a lot on my free time. Lost only $350, which is very small, trust me. I had a lot of volatility. I had big swings up and down, but mostly down. Narrowed my lost towards the end. Swings like that does play with your emotion and that is why they call it gambling. But when you are winning or from any success in life, you just get that natural high from the flood of dopamine. I feel like I aged another year even though it's been 10 nights. Just probably because I experience a lot crammed into such a short amount of time.

I go home satisfied and happy because I know I will be back.

Till next time Vegas.