Oasis in Vegas

I moved to California in 2006 with my wife because her parents live here. But I’m actually a Michigan-boy. I lived in Michigan for 30 years and I have a lot of friends and relatives and ties back there. So I try to make an annual pilgrimage back to my hometown.

Every time we drove from California to Michigan or vice versa, we always stayed in a hotel in Vegas. That’s just the thing to do. And even though we’re not big gamblers, we each take a roll of quarters down to the hotel’s casino and “play the slots.” One time, I won $300 on my last quarter!

Last year was the first time I made the trek without my better third, though. My friend from Georgia decided to fly from his city to my city in California so he could make the drive with me. And then I picked up a friend in Michigan that drove back to California with me. Each time, we stopped in Vegas.

But this year, it looks like I’m making the drive alone. In a way, I’m looking forward to it. I’m a loner and I’m going to savor the time to myself to listen to whatever I want, drive wherever I want and go wherever I want. I’m a little worried, though. I’ve never gone more than two or three hours anywhere by myself, much less a 36-hour trip. I don’t think I’ll be staying in Vegas this time, though. It’s just not as much fun by myself. And it’s probably a little dangerous, too. I’m still excited to go and I can’t wait until May.