I had an unbelievably amazing, overwhelming, exhausting, and inspiring time in Vegas over the last 4 days at WPPI and Showit United. I met photographers I’ve been following online for what seems like forever, and was SO happy to see they are just as sweet & down-to-earth in person as I had hoped! I made new friends and reconnected with my local photography crew. 🙂 I went to class after class, event after event, and I barely slept a wink. (Seriously – I think I got around 10 hours of sleep total during the time I was there. To say I am completely wiped out is a serious understatement!)
Every day seemed to fly by and take forever at the same time, which resulted in the trip feeling like both the longest and the shortest 4 days of my life.
Vegas is a strange place… yes? Every hour of the day feels like the same hour of the day – there is no morning, noon or night – but just one continuous moment, hour or day. It don’t know how to explain it – but it is WEIRD. And while I had an absolutely fabulous time at the photography conference, I was definitely over the Vegas scene pretty quickly.
So when I was flying in last night and I saw this out of the window in the airplane – I grinned one BIG happy grin.
I was finally home. Home. Sweet. Home.
My flight got in just after midnight last night. I arrived on time and was wandering around looking for baggage claim, finding my things and calling James, when he snuck up from behind and surprised me. I may have freaked out and screamed a bit. Maybe it was more of a squeal. I’ve never been SO HAPPY to see this man in my life I don’t think. I hugged him tighter than normal, and buried my face in his neck. I breathed in deep and soaked it in. I. Was. Home.
I missed James something fierce on this trip. I had so many things to tell him, so many stories to share – but the time difference and the completely packed-to-the-brim days there didn’t allow me more than 5 minutes or so total to chat with him. So we may or may not have stayed up until 5am last night just talking. I told him everything that happened on the trip… all the people I met, all the things I learned, all the times I laughed, and all the times I cried (there were lots). I told him all the goals I had for our business this year, all the places I thought we could go, and all of the things I believe we are capable of together.
And he just sat there – sipping white wine – and listening to me with a smile on his face. I asked if I was talking too much… if he was bored with it all… but he just shook his head ‘no’ and smiled at me with a sparkle in his eye (yes, his eyes sparkle – trust me) – and I knew that he would listen to me for the next 24 hours if I had that much to say. He was just as happy that I was finally home as I was.
It was an amazing trip – but it was even more amazing coming home to my little family. So I’m going to take today to just mellow out. To let all the experiences I had, people I met, and things I learned just soak in. I’m also going to sleep, because I need it more than anything. I’m going to cuddle on the couch with James and Chloe (who has been following me around like a shadow since I got home). I’m going to eat some non-restaurant meals, and catch up on the Bachelor I missed while I was gone.
I’m going to take today to refresh, regroup, and reconnect… and then I promise I’ll be back tomorrow – in full swing and ready to take on the world!! 🙂
Until then, it’s going to be just me and these two cuties… 🙂
(Expect a full WPPI/Showit United/Vegas recap along with photos coming soon! :))
