Vegas, baby!

Sometimes, people spend their whole life trying to find their place in the world. I feel lucky that I discovered what I needed to be happy before I turned 40.

Vegas.

I didn't find my bliss until last October when I went there for the first time. My wife and I spent three days there for our anniversary, and I can't wait to go back. You have probably heard lots of guys say the same thing, but this is serious business. I have so many things left to do in Vegas, it's not funny.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy my trip last year. We had a fantastic time and did most of the things that we had in our plan. But three days in Vegas just scratches the surface, especially when you lose at least half of one morning because you are so hungover.

If my trip to Vegas was the Kentucky Derby, I was the horse that takes the early lead, but ends up at the back of the pack by the middle of the race. To my credit, I did rally in the end, but really wish I had paced myself a little better.

That's exactly why I need to go back to Vegas. I will know this time not to stay up until 3 a.m. the first night - which put me up for more than 24 hours given the time difference - while enjoying more than my fair share of free beers from O'Sheas Casino.

I had a weak moment. Or about eight or nine weak moments after I ended up at O'Sheas after having a little fun at the Monte Carlo, which is where we were staying. I shared a name with the casino, they had low limits and I ended up meeting a fellow soccer fan from Scotland. How could I resist?

I guess I figured if I kept drinking, I might actually be able to understand what the Scotsman was saying. That never really happened, but we had an amazing time. I had so much fun I didn't even mind walking home in the pouring rain.

Chalk that up as another Vegas learning experience. The guide books may say that two places are only two blocks apart, but Sin City has a different definition of a block than the rest of us. And we all know how a night of drinking with a Scotsman alters our definitions of so many things.

The next morning was rough. Not only did I drink a lot of beer, but we had a front-row seat to the construction next to the Monte Carlo. Construction which started around 6 or 7 in the morning. Ugh. Let's just say that I didn't get my money's worth at the breakfast buffet. Lesson number three and we hadn't been in town for more than 15 hours.

I fared pretty well after that. I saw a cheesy REO Speedwagon concert that provided one of the best people watching experiences ever. I had plenty of ups and downs at the tables. I got propositioned by a hooker late on our last night in town. For a threesome even. What a terrific trip.

Now I need to go back with the boys. Nothing against my wife - and I definitely plan to turn down the hooker's proposition regardless of who I go with - but I think I only saw a fraction of the town the first time around.

My wife and I may have had a great lunch at Salsa Cantina in the middle of Saturday afternoon, but we didn't gorge ourselves on a cheap buffet at 3 a.m. I did drink a beer on Saturday morning while watching college football, but looked with envy at the tables of guys who partied together. I didn't hang out in any nightclubs or bars. I have so much more to cross off my list. I want to go back with my wife again. I just want to have a different experience before that happens.

My biggest problem is that I can't turn around without something reminding me of how much I want to go to Vegas. Every television show seems to work a mention in to torture me. People around me reveal their upcoming trip plans to taunt me. Websites blink with vacation offers to tempt me.

For a while, some friends and I talked about going out this spring. We considered visiting the weekend of the Mayweather-De La Hoya fight, but those plans fell through due to a bunch of reasons. Now I have other conflicts with family events, work and other vacations that have ruled out most of the summer. I have a free plane ticket so I know it's just a matter of lining up schedules and finding the right place to stay.

Part of me wants to just jump on a plane, find a cheap room and see if any of my friends can join me. But I think I want to do a guy trip to Vegas before I turn into the dude who goes out there by himself. I have plenty of time for that in the future.

Brian Shea is probably enjoying a beer in his basement right now. You can contact him at columns@regularguycolumn.com.