What I Learned in Vegas at Bloggers in Sin City

I can't stop thinking about Vegas. I only posted once last week after my initial Vegas post because I couldn't get myself to think about anything other than #BiSC. Between my own reflections and reading other peoples recaps, I have come to realize I learned a lot in just a few days.  

{photo credit: Terra right?)

Without further adieu here is- What I learned in Vegas:

• I loved blogging before, but actually putting faces to the blogs and hashtags reminded me that there is more to blogging than just writing your thoughts online and getting the occasional comment. It is more than just an Internet hobby. Meeting IRL at events like BiSC creates life long bonds that are irreplaceable and priceless.
• Don't judge a book by its cover. Or in this case, don't judge people by their tweets/avatars/occupations/registration page etc.
• Don't let your inner dialogue stop you from having a good time. There is nothing holding you back but yourself.
• Clubs that have an outdoor patio, music playing under the clear starry night, with free table service while surrounded by people who don't care if I dance like a fool, that I can do.
• It is worth doing that challenging thing you are worrying about. Just because it is unknown, does not mean it is wrong or bad.
• When meeting people, especially those who have name tags, whether it is hotel staff, waiters or peers, use their first name. They will appreciate it and probably reciprocate the kindness.
• Twitter is actually a great cool for communication. Whether you are scattered across the country or sitting at the same table planning what to do next. 
• I must make blogger business cards for my next event.  It is pure genius.
• If you don't allow yourself to try new things, you will never know what you are capable of or what is possible.
• Companies will sponsor bloggers. Thanks again to all our sponsors.
• Challenge yourself beyond your comfort level. If you don't take risks, there will be no rewards. Take chances and risks.
• Birds don't have sex like humans do. They just have to touch their cloacae and Bam! She is impregnated!
• If you put your cell phone in a glass vase, it amplifies the sound a bit. (c/o Terra)
• People on tight ropes, high chairs and roller skates (at Absinthe) have super-human strength.
• Hotels that don't have a TV in the bathroom mirror just aren't luxurious enough now. Yes, the Go Rooms at the Flamingo Hotel spoiled me.
• Teaching Tiffany to play blackjack was a fun but bad idea.
• West Virginia has some hilarious and bizarre children's songs. Watch Terra dance to Sneaky Snake.  (Sorry it is hard to hear but if you listen closely you can hear it. I am working on making this louder - so check back!!)
• Friends should make you feel alive and happy.  We need to focus on spending more time with those who make us smile and laugh so hard we cry and less time with those who make us feel pressured to impress them.
• I am not a phone person but I need to try to make the phone my friend to keep up all relationships and bonds that were created in Vegas. I'm looking at you fellow BiSC-uits. Will you try to help me here?
• Fun is what you make it.
• New things make us feel anxious and scared at first, but if we put ourselves out there, we are left with something invaluable, our lives enriched.
• We all have choices to make and sometimes they are not easy to face. But every decision leads us on a path and carves out our future. It is our choice to have fun and try new things OR stay with the familiar and comfortable and thus never grow. Choose to challenge yourself.
• Sometimes we just need to take that leap of faith.  Life is too short to have regrets.
• We are all goofy and weird. Life is weird. The Internet can be weird. But when you find others who are your kind of weird, a connection is born that justifies it all.
• The Internet is real.
• We all take ourselves too seriously. Laughter is the best medicine. Surround yourself with others who laugh with you.  
• Everyone feels left out of social situations from time to time.  We feel invisible and as if we don't matter.  We question if our friends truly 'get us.' We have all been there where we think a dinner was organized without us or we were invited as a second thought.  We feel that the only way to be included is to invite ourselves. The truth is, you do matter and you are not alone in feeling this way. There are people out there that care about you. This group at #BiSC in particular was (naturally) very good about trying to make sure everyone was included. In fact, if you asked if you saw something people planned on twitter and wanted to join, the usual response was "the more the merrier."
• Sprayology makes a spray that is the cure to all hangovers. It tastes bitter for .02 seconds but the headache is gone instantly!

(photo credit: Jayme)

• If you look up to someone or have a hero TELL him/her. It will make their day (as long as they're not an A list celebrity, then they know already.) While you will probably feel nervous about going up to them, it is worth it. Who knows, maybe a friendship will blossom. Have no regrets.
• Do not be afraid to do what you want to do. I felt judged when I told people I was going to BiSC but I had the time of my life.
• It is possible to meet someone and instantly feel as if you have known them   your entire life. I call this friend-love at first sight.
• If it were easy, wouldn't everyone do it?
• Even if it is for a Tweet-To-Win contest, remember you have followers who will see it. In this digital age, anything might appear on YouTube or become public gossip.
• People will come together to support and celebrate others, even when they barely know each other. I believe most people are good people.
• We are all nervous about making a bad first impression. People are out there that will like you for who you are.  Be yourself!!
• Canada doesn't have Target. This is baffling, I know.
• Will.i.am is not worth the pins and needles in my feet. On that note, next year I'm bringing more flats.
• Don't wait until last minute to try to get tickets to Billboard Music Awards. It does sell out.
• It is actually really hard to be a stripper. The poles get slippery (from your hands/sweat) and you have to have ab strength and a lot of coordination!
• Don't worry about what will be in the future. Just enjoy the present. As Baz Luhrmann says in his song, Sunscreen, "Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum."

Holy bloggers, Batman! I learned a lot in just a few days and I'm sure I didn't even include everything.  I know sometimes it is easier said than done. But in the end, you should be able to look back and have no regrets.  Going to Vegas and taking that chance was one of the best decisions I have made.  Thanks to everyone who went for making the weekend so memorable.

What did you learn in Vegas? Care to share and add to my list?

Love, Caryn

#BiSC-uits Do Vegas in Style

I can name every person here! 

I honestly don't even know where to begin. People have asked, how was Vegas? But in all honesty, amazing/one of the best weekends of my life/fantastic/incredible/magical/ etc. just doesn't even begin to cut it. There is no way I can give justice to the weekend that was, in one word, EPIC. I can write all I want, but it will never come close to giving it or the people who attended, all the proper praise it deserves. Lets just say, I have been to Vegas a few times but never have Done Vegas. Until now.

For those of you who are new to my blog (Welcome!), don't follow me on Twitter (slacker, follow me!), or who do follow me and saw a multitude of crazy tweets, you are probably wondering what is this epic weekend I speak of. Well, this past weekend I was in Vegas for a kick-ass blogger meet-up called Bloggers in Sin City (aka #BiSC). I say meet-up and not convention because this isn't your typical gathering. There are no panels or seminars, just a group of mostly 20something bloggers who wanted to meet some of their online friends IRL.  The weekend was filled with inside jokes, craziness, and drunkenness, bonding and being VIP for a weekend. 

When I signed up back in March, I debated if I should go. Did I really want to go to a bloggers convention when I just started blogging only a couple months prior? What if I didn't fit in?  What if everyone was a lush and hard-core partygoers? (Yes, I wrongly thought everyone needed alcohol to have fun judging by the registration page). What about the fact that I knew absolutely no one going? That's right, I traveled alone, across the country, to meet a group of 56 complete strangers from the Internet.  None of whom I had ever met in real life before and only talked to minimally on Twitter. This was totally out of my comfort zone, but as they say in Vegas, there is no reward without taking some risk. When I told people I was going to BiSC, I usually got the same reaction: a squinted face of disapproval, clearly thinking, a blogger’s convention, really?? And you don't know anyone? You must be a bigger dork than I thought. Or wow, that's crazy and gutsy.  To that I say, "this dork had a life changing weekend, bonded hard core, was a VIP for a weekend, made new friendships, and laughed so hard I literally cried. How was your weekend?" 

No, this is not your ordinary group of people. This wasn't just any old trip to Vegas and these aren't just any old Internet friends. This was a group of 51 girls and 6 guys from all across America (and Canada too!) comprised of the warmest, welcoming, supportive, funny, and down to earth group of people there is. It is absolutely incredible that we created strong bonds and friendships that feel as if we have known each other for years; when if fact, it was only a weekend.  Whereas some friendships are convenient because you live within close proximity to each other, these are relationships that because we are scattered across the country, we are choosing to continue.

When we registered, we were asked to share five things we wanted other attendees to know about us. Here is one of mine:

3. People never spell my name right or seem to remember the right name. I have been called Carly, Carolyn, Erin, Carol, Kristin, etc. just about anything but Caryn. It is the same name as Karen, just spelled different. Not pronounced Car – In. I’ve gotten used to being that girl that no one remembers her name.

Yes, I have gotten used to being that girl that no one remembers her name. Usually when I am in a large group of people, I get shy, feel invisible and not memorable because I don't have a loud personality.  All my life, I felt like something was missing and never quite felt as if I had that core group of friends that you see on Friends and Sex and the City. But this group of 56 other Bloggers made me feel as if I belonged. I never once felt invisible. People were determined to not only remember my name, but my twitter handle too!  These Bloggers are no longer just names or web pages on the Internet; they are real, genuine and loving and now they’re IRL friends. 

All within one weekend, we came together to mourn a loss and celebrated an impromptu Bachelorette party. I’m not going to lie; I developed some massive girl crushes, kind of like friend-love at first sight.  I am afraid I am going to wake up and realize it was all a dream. I am sad that there were only two of us from Chicago because I wish I could see everyone more often. Once a year is just not going to cut it.


No, this is a special group that cannot be matched.  I went to Vegas not knowing a soul when I arrived, but left with family.  Nico says it best in his vlog (watch it here) "Instead of feeling people out and starting from scratch, a lot of these friendships just hit the ground running...with nerdy like minded individuals…”

So why was this weekend epic, besides for the amazing people? Thanks to Nicole who planned a flawless weekend, there was never a dull moment. Even lying at the pool, there was never a dull moment.  Bob and I concluded, "On a scale of one to Ape-Shit, this is Gorilla-Shit." 

It was cheaper to come in a day early, so I arrived Wednesday. When I finally arrived at the Flamingo Hotel room, I took a deep breath before I knocked on the door. I knew that once I knocked, the weekend would begin, there would be no turning back. I had no idea just what I had gotten myself into and just how many memories and friendships were waiting on the other side of the door.

Here are some of the highlights of the Mega-Awesome-Epic-VIP-weekend: I really wish I wrote down some of the quotes people said...

• Upon check-in, we received a bag full of goodies from our Sponsors and our VIP badge. Check out Nico's video to our sponsors.
• The hotel room at @Flamingovegas had a TV in the bathroom mirror. GENIUS!
• Mingle and meet during a VIP open bar sponsored by Sin City Brewing Company at the Flamingo Hotel where Molly (@stratejoy) hosted Blogger Bingo.  We were immediately forced to get to know each other by asking crazy questions, doing crazy things like sharing our celebrity crushes, running down the hallway, and taking bathroom photos.  I was really excited/anxious to meet some of my blogger heroes, (Molly, Jenny, Grace, and Doniree) as well as the people I had talked to online. 
• We received VIP poolside treatment both Friday and Saturday. We got to skip the line and go straight to our four free reserved daybeds and pool chairs. Thanks to Suki and our sponsor @Clevergirlscoll we had free delicious frozen mojito drinks for all to share.
• Our own Amber attempted the limbo contest.
• Participated in some rather wild and hilarious Tweet-To-Win competitions by the pool.
• Rapper Baby Bash gave an impromptu performance at our hotel pool while Mikael shook her rump in the booty contest. (You were #1 in my book!)
• Met a Canadian guy who claimed to be a Rocket Scientist. Because this sounded more like a Barney Stintson trick, we Googled the information on his business card. It was either a lot of work to get laid or quite awesome. I admit, I do believe this guy.
• I devoured the best steak I've possibly ever had at Mon Ami Gabi while conversing with a group of 10 of the best and sweetest girls around.
• We were VIP at the happy hour sponsored by @TheSugarFactory Chocolate Lounge at Paris Hotel. Literally, we were kids in a candy store – with amazing fondue and drinks called Sexual Chocolate.

• Attended Absinthe at Caesars Palace. If you see anything in Vegas, see this show.  This was a jaw dropping, potential heart attack inducing, mind blowing, spectacle that showcased strength, balance, rock hard abs, nipple pasties and adult humor. Here are two clips here and here of the show for your viewing pleasure.  Photo below is the world's best keg stand and yes they are all on a tight rope. 
• More VIP treatment at Chateau Nightclub at Paris Hotel (@ChateauLV).  We got to skip the line, pass go and collect $200. Well not really collect money, but we sure felt like we hit the jackpot. We got a table outside (do you know how valuable a table is at a Nightclub? Not only is it $500 per table but you can sit down!?!) We also got FREE bottle service with not one, but two bottles of Skyy Vodka (coincidentally one of our sponsors!) We danced the night away under the gorgeous night sky. I don't do clubs and I had a blast. Being outside helped!
• Where else but in Vegas do you take a Stripper 101 class with three other bloggers? My group was probably the least sexy and coordinated group of girls but it was still fun! 
• Enjoyed 1/2 Price Happy Hour and an impromptu Bachelorette party for Kaci. Her surprised reaction was priceless and it touched everyone immensely. We all cried a few tears out of sheer joy and love. Talk about epic parties, she had 56 people in Vegas for her Bachelorette.  That is one for the record books. 
• Everyone dressed up to the nines for the Black White and Gold themed party. We felt like celebrities for the night when we flashed our VIP badge and budged everyone in line at PURE Nightclub. No entrance fee, no waiting in line to enter or to get drinks, and we got to rock out on the dance floor on our own before others were let in.
• Danced the night away at PURE Nightclub while Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas deejayed until I couldn't feel my toes. Actually, that’s a lie. I danced until my toes hurt so bad from my heels, it felt like needles were stabbing me.  I nearly had to crawl home.
• Hugged friends goodbye who in a matter of days became family at the VIP Breakfast Buffet on Sunday morning.
• I taught Tiffany how to play Blackjack.  Oops! I created a Blackjack Beast! At least we both walked away up!
• Laughed so hard I couldn’t stop crying and thought I might pee in my pants with Maxie, Molly, Terra and Tiffany. These ladies will forever be in my heart. Between the sneaky snake dance, the contents of Terra's purse, the obnoxiously loud music and movie clips playing at the restaurant and all the crazy shenanigans and hilarity that ensued, I will never forget that Sunday. It could quite possibly be forever known as the funniest, most entertaining day of my life. I don’t remember the last time I laughed so hard I cried, but that day, I couldn’t stop crying.
• Left my heart and voice in Vegas - all in the name of an epic weekend. 
• The great thing about BiSC is that it is TOTALLY ACCEPTABLE to sit around a table with your phones out. While we looked anti-social, more likely than not, we were on Twitter talking to other attendees anyways.

I originally wanted to change my flight to leave earlier because I was scheduled to be the last one to leave town at 530p Monday but it turned out that the extra day of playing Blackjack and lying by the pool was exactly what the Dr. ordered. I was able to relax a little after the busy weekend before heading back to reality.

I used to think that four days in Vegas way too long, and usually it is.  However, after this particular weekend, it wasn't long enough. I came home on cloud-9 and was the happiest I have been in a long time. I felt optimistic, giddy, and as if nothing could bring me down. I was genuinely glowing with happiness.

 

I need to thank Nicole, the girl who organized this whole thing. Without you wanting to celebrate your birthday three years ago, this wouldn't be an event. Without you, I wouldn't have met some of the best people in the world. Thank you for creating this amazing weekend. 

And a ginormous THANK YOU to all of our amazing sponsors who helped make this weekend possible and as special as it was: the beautiful Flamingo Hotel & Casino, Shatterboxx, Absinthe, Babeland, Hair Flairs, Sprayology (this thing is a hangover miracle), SKYY Vodka, Think Geek, BuildASign.com, Vita CoCo, Swiss Maid Fudge, nuNAAT, USA Pears, Sir Richard’s Condom Company, Pop Chips, Urban Therapy Twisted Sista, David Saxe Production, and Pink Kisses.

Talking on twitter means so much more now that I know who is on the other side of the handle.  And now that I know everyone, I am totally going to go stalk the original sign up list again....

I don't think I'll ever have this kind of VIP experience again. Things like this just don't happen to me. But it did. And it was unforgettable.

Cheers to meeting strangers life long friends on the Internet in Vegas!

Caryn_Levy Caryn Levy 
Finally home from epic weekend #BiSC. Boyfriend picked me up at airport! Apparently I left my voice in Vegas. And I never lose it.

24 May Favorite Reply Delete

(Photo Credit: Me, Becca Freeman, Terra Gatti, Tara Lane, Ipartyinvegas.com.

 If I forgot a credit, please let me know and I'll correct it ASAP)

Love, Caryn

L5: Sci-Fi Miniseries.

When we were young, some of us knew what we wanted to be when we grew up. For others, the future seemed like a foreign land of unlimited possibilities, whose dreams changed periodically from time to time.  And some people still don't know what they want to be when they grow up.  My good friend Tom, was that kid who knew he always wanted to be a director.  In high school, I was lucky enough to be Tom's date for our Senior Prom. He is one of those rare gems in this world.  He reminds you that there are good-hearted, genuine people out there, and that if you dream it, you can make it happen.  I remember in high school being in awe of his directing talent. We working on this "Say No To Drugs" video using clips from Requiem For A Dream (disturbing!) for one of our school clubs.  He had such an eye and passion for editing. After hours of editing and hard work, the video turned out fabulously. I actually wish I had a copy of that presentation...  Since college, he has been living in L.A. to pursue his dreams. He will be the next Spielberg. Guaranteed.

I want to share with you a project that Tom has been working recently. It's a Sci-Fi series called L5.  Right now, he is running a Kickstarter fundraising campaign for some elements of post-production. I had no idea all that went into a project like this! He needs to raise $2500 by May 12 to proceed with the project.

Feel free to take a look at the page, and if you like what you see, pass it on to people who you think might be interested. I am NOT ASKING YOU TO CONTRIBUTE! I am sharing this with you so we can help spread the word! :) I am so proud of Tom and his accomplishments.  Click here: L5 to check it out.  Thanks for sharing and checking it out! 


Good luck Tom.  I can't wait for my DVD!


Love, Caryn

Drinks, Dinner and Dragons

In college, I had my share of Thursday nights where I would go out as if it were the Saturday, because lets face it, not having to go to class on Fridays, was pretty much amazing. But there were also many Thursday nights where I would stay in.  Sure, now I go out for happy hours, dinners with friends, and the occasional activity, but as I have gotten older, those Thursday night crazy adventures have dwindled down to just about slim to none (except during softball season for work, those stories to come later...).  So when the opportunity arose to get drinks with a friend and go to a concert last minute, I decided to embrace being spontaneous.

Drinks
Earlier in the week, I was given a gift card to The Signature Room.  I thought it would be fun to grab some (overpriced but free, thanks to the gift card) drinks with a very dear friend.  In case you aren't familiar, the Lounge is on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building and it overlooks the entire city. It is known for its expensive drinks and breathtaking views. At least the views are free.  We both ordered a Peach Martini and watched the sunset. Doesn't it look like the sun is an enormous explosion over the horizon? The photo on the right is a view from inside looking out at the lake from the 95th floor.
                                 

Dinner
I do not think I'll be having sushi for a while. We had an hour to kill before the concert started so we walked around and of course the only place without a long wait was a sushi restaurant. Now, usually that wouldn't make me think twice, except I already had it twice this week. Oh well. At least it was a sushi restaurant I hadn't tried before. Bonus points for trying something new. We had a dragon roll, sweet potato roll and of course, spicy tuna. Nom! Nom! Nom! When we're together, there are always lots of laughs.


Dragons
Earlier this afternoon, I received a Facebook invite for a show tonight featuring this local band called I Fight Dragons.  I have been a longtime fan, so I called my friend up, told her about it, and we decide it would be fun if we went after drinks to hear some live music. As I said in a previous post nothing beats a live concert.  The music of IFD combines pop/rock songs and electronic sounds using Nintendo game systems. That's right, an old school Nintendo NES rock band! How clever and unique!  And they actually have the game controllers set up and play on stage. The group recently signed with Atlantic Records and have been working on their new album called 'Cool Is Just a Number' for about a year now. Three of the members are from my home town (actually one from a neighboring town) and are some of the nicest and down-to-earth guys around.  Packy, one of the guitarists/vocalists, who actually reminds me of John Lennon,  is one of the most talented guitar players. *Flashback time*  I vividly remember this one talent show in elementary school where he played the drums so passionately and intensely that his glasses flew off of his face in the middle of a set.  He finished the song without being able to see.  (FYI - He had the Harry Potter glasses many years before the books were ever even written.) We all knew at that moment, he was destined to go places with that talent.

Tonights show was so much fun and had a really good turn out.  I even ran into some old friends I haven't seen in a while, so that was great to catch up with them. The music is awesome and you can tell they are having fun on stage. The crowd was chanting IFD, IFD, IFD. The two story venue was small but a great place to see a band play. I am in awe at how talented these guys are.  It makes me wish I could play the drums or guitar.  Too bad I'm tone deaf, have no rhythm and I can't sing to save my life. I think there is something to be said for guys who can play instruments and sing.  When we were younger, if you played in the school band, your peers thought you were dorky.  Now if you play in a band, people think you are sexy. (If you are reading this, and you are in a school band - good for you! Keep it up!Do not give in to peer pressure or take your peers seriously. Someday your talents will be appreciated! )

Here are some songs from I Fight Dragons. Money / Welcome to the Breakdown / The Faster The Treadmill.  Check out their website, and if they come to your city, I highly recommend you go to their show. Mark my words, I have faith they will make it to the top.

Sometimes the best nights aren't planned. Here is to having an awesome, spontaneous night on a random Thursday.   Do you go out often on Thursday nights (post college)? Do you know of any bands that are undiscovered or not household names that you love? Please share the music love!

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Love, Caryn