The second stop on my trip and the first outside of Australia was to Las Vegas. The primary purpose and planning starting point of the journey, I finally managed to catch up with a friend I met in Budapest in 2018. One of the best parts of travelling is that I have friends all over the world.
Vegas was bright, very bright. And aggressively overstimulating. The journey was long and intense, but it allowed me to make my first single-serving friend of the trip, a photographer from Melbourne named Ellie. After 15 long hours of flying, countless hours of flight delay and copious amounts of white wine, I arrived at Las Vegas airport to my friend holding a very makeshift sign with my name on it, baffled at the fact that it was still Thursday.
I'm not used to travelling this way around the world.
In the least cliche way possible, it was everything I had imagined. Loud, loud music. Lights so bright they confused my eyes, and countless slot machines and card games. I only saw a single clock all weekend, and the smell of weed permeated the city. You can even smoke inside, much to my mother's shock. My friend has given up smoking for Lent every year since I met him. Somehow, he still enjoys a fag or two.
I promised my mother that I'd try to do at least one touristy thing every day on this trip, and Vegas definitely allowed me to fulfill my pledge. I absorbed as much American culture as humanely possible over the short period of time my friend and I were together, and was bombarded with every aspect of Vegas imaginable. I had an amazing, if overstimulating, time and even saw a couple wearing clothing with "just married" emblazoned on the back. It was a true Vegas experience, but it was clear that the thing that made Vegas safe for me was being with Jason. It wasn't a good idea for me to be there alone.
As a result of this, and the wait for my Canadian travel authorization that had still not arrived despite my criminal record finally being clear, I decided to change my plans and travel to New York. At least this way, I would be able to get the bus into Toronto. I cancelled my accommodation across both cities, booked a very expensive flight to NYC and found a hostel to stay in for only $8. I was set.
Obviously, I woke up on Monday morning with my travel authorization safely in my inbox, but by that point it was too late, and I needed to carry on with plan B. Jason and I had said our goodbyes the night before and I arrived at my hostel after my last Vegas breakfast and countless trips around a hotel with live flamingos looking for Wifi. Within 20 minutes of arrival, I had been told I had "sick leg work" (good) and found the local meth head (bad). A simple trip to a 7/11 seemed like a good idea, but after copious amounts of alcohol, I awoke to realize why I was right to change my trip.
As a former addict and someone who struggles with alcohol, I know when I am likely to put myself in danger or not ensure my own safety. Although physically unharmed, I had put myself in a dangerous situation within just one day of being in Vegas alone and staying longer would have made things a lot worse. I was incredibly frustrated and upset with myself and desperately wished I had stuck to my original plans and not spent the money I had. The thing is, it doesn't matter how much money you are saving or spending; if you're not safe, you're just not safe.
It took me a long time to get to New York and cost me more than I am willing to admit, but I know things would have gotten a lot worse had I stayed in Nevada. My time there alone could definitely have been better, but I know it was likely to have gotten a lot, lot worse if I had stayed. I was feeling very despondent when I settled myself into my Uber, but kept reminding myself that all that mattered was that I was safe and sound. This feeling of safety thankfully increased and grew into a full blown sign from the universe when I started to recognize the hostel I was staying at. It turns out I had been here in 2019 on a trip from Tortonto to Chicago, and it was where I had met my friend Anna. Ironically on a trip around America, having finished high school in Australia, we still talk today, and she is one of my favourite travel friends. The person at reception even recognized that I'd been here before.
When I was finally settled in my room, I was in a mood that could only be fixed by sleep, and after taking a fair dose of melatonin to combat any jetlag, I slept for around 24 hours. That combined with a good shower and hairwash made me feel fully human again, and I've spent my first day in NYC catching up on laundry, writing to my sailor and reading a book so accurate it's burgeoning on frustrating. I'm finally calming down and feeling safe again, and have decided to stay put until Sunday, when I'll finally make my way to Toronto. It feels good to know I'll be in one place for a few days, and I know that my next adventure will be even more enjoyable for it.
Stay safe on the road
Jess
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