*Author’s Note: Hello! This is Sienna, from the future! I underestimated how much time I would have each day to write my journal entries in Las Vegas, however I did manage to take plenty of photos. I am backdating the Vegas entries but it’s worth making a note to say that I am writing each entry now that I’m back home in the UK.

Waking up at four in the morning to catch a flight to America was actually easier than I thought it would be. We had prepared ourselves for the early rise a few days in advance so luckily our bodies were a little bit better adjusted than they would have otherwise been. We made it to Heathrow well on time and got through bag check and security with zero issue, either. The seats we chose for the flight were exit row seats and honestly I don’t think I’ll actively choose one again. American Airlines’ international airplane seats are so narrow that I could feel my thighs getting bruised from the armrests, and I didn’t even bother trying to watch any movies during the flight because the fold out screen was so low and awkward to use. On the bright side, the vegetarian meal option was a chickpea curry and it was really tasty.

We landed in Phoenix first and had to weave through the empty lines at border patrol before collecting our luggage and going through security again. TSA at Phoenix was messy and disorganised, and surprisingly lax compared to Heathrow. They cared less about separating things into different trays than they cared about us taking off our shoes. Anyway, we got through and re-checked our bags without issue and made our way to the departure gate. On the plane we both had window seats on opposite sides of the plane and I immediately noted how roomy the seats were on this flight in comparison to the international leg of the trip.

Flying from Phoenix to Vegas didn’t take very long and the views were really fascinating! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a desert before this trip and I found all of the different curves and slopes of the mountains really beautiful to look at from 37,000 feet. We arrived in Vegas about an hour later, exhausted and feeling sweaty from a long day of travel.

The Vegas airport was quite different to what I’m used to seeing. Slot machines at every turn! We found our way to baggage claim and then eventually called a Lyft. In England we don’t use rideshare apps at all, often opting to drive ourselves or use public transport. In America it seems like rideshare apps are the way to go. Our lyft driver picked us up in a car wearing pink bunny ears and pink seat covers. The drive from the airport was quite interesting, too. Obviously Las Vegas is in the desert, but I was surprised to see rocks used as landscaping in a similar capacity to mulch. There were also a good amount of cacti and palm trees. Before we reached the Strip, we passed through some really run down parts that made it clear where the city of Las Vegas does and doesn’t utilise the city’s budget. I could instantly tell that Sin City was the kind of place that would chew you up and spit you out without so much as batting an eye.

We pulled up to the hotel we were staying at: The Linq, and that’s when we began having some issues. First of all, the hotel check-in process was not easy. Every other time I’ve check in to a hotel I’ve had to go up to the front desk and talk to the concierge, but this time we had to use a self check-in kiosk. Sounds easy enough, but for whatever reason the kiosk wasn’t reading Alex’s passport and we didn’t have a QR code like we supposedly should have. After ten minutes faffing with the kiosk, we found a human and they quickly checked us in at another kiosk that allowed them to bypass the passport issue we were having.

The room we booked was an ADA accessible one. My friend Liz who was going to be staying with us needs a shower stool so we thought we’d just get a room with a shower stool placed in the shower. In actuality, the room was more-so equipped for a wheelchair user because there wasn’t a door on the bathroom at all. Also, there wasn’t a mini fridge, which there should have been. The more time we spent in the room trying to contact the front desk about getting a mini fridge, the more we noticed how messed up the room was. One of the lamps looked like someone had vomited on it, there were suspicious stains here and there, and the furniture looked oddly outdated. It took a lot of pushback but we eventually switched to a non-ADA room so that we could have a bathroom with a door.

By the time we actually made it to our room, we were all feeling hungry and tired so we went out to find supplies. Alex and I chose to eat at Chez Walgreens while Liz and her friend Sophie (who was also staying with us) went to a restaurant. Our dinner consisted of tortilla chips and salsa, apples, and flamin’ hot cheetos. The pinnacle of health!

After Alex and I were fed, we met up with my friend Rachel and her husband Steven to go to a cheap liquor store for more supplies. We got a lyft and then we walked over to the liquor store and it was interesting to see the various signage just off the Las Vegas Strip. The liquor store I took us to was definitely a seedy place. The cashier was obviously intoxicated, but there was a huge selection of different liquors at really good prices and that was all I really cared about. We picked up some hard seltzer for Liz and Sophie, then Alex and I got a bottle of Grey Goose and a couple of Sojus since we can never seem to find them in the UK. After we made our purchases, we got a Lyft back to the hotel and hung out in the hotel room for a little bit before Rachel and Steven went back to their hotel.

For our first night in Vegas I would say that it definitely did not go to plan. I really struggled with the room debacle because we had booked the room so it was really upsetting that we were given a room in such unacceptable quality. I’m grateful that Liz was able to use her hospitality background and confidence to rectify the situation because I was totally tapped out at that point.