After 11 hours and 30 minutes of flying and stepping into the 40°C Las Vegas heat, I finally arrived. The flight was great, courtesy of Edelweiss’s stellar service. The only hiccup? The landing was a bit like hitting a speed bump at full throttle.

First Stop: The Venetian Hotel

Upon arrival, I beelined to the Venetian Hotel, with my room in the Palazzo. Check-in was smooth, except they promised to text me when the room was ready. Spoiler alert: that text never came. After two hours of twiddling my thumbs, I went back to the reception, and voilà, room keys in hand.

Thankfully, Markus got his room in the Venetian immediately, so I could stash my luggage in his room while I sorted things out.

The First Day’s Dilemma: To Sleep or Not to Sleep

The real challenge on the first day is figuring out when to sleep. I left at 10 AM Swiss time and landed at 1 PM Vegas time (a 9-hour difference). Jet lag is real, folks.

First Meal: In-N-Out Burger

To kick things off, I headed straight to In-N-Out Burger for a Double Cheese. Always a winner. Though I have a soft spot for Shake Shack in Vegas too, it’s a bit of a trek from the hotel. Still, I’ll make the pilgrimage.

Evening at The Linq

In the evening, I hit the bar at The Linq and met up with Oli from Cribl and Mika. As always, it was an absolute hoot. We then moved on for some finger food with Florian (Flo), and Jaco.

Nightcap: Gilley’s Saloon, Dance Hall & Bar-B-Que

We capped off the night with a visit to Gilley’s Saloon, Dance Hall & Bar-B-Que for a well-deserved “after-work” beer. By 11 PM, it was time to hit the sack.