Las Vegas has a funny way of turning a work trip into a full-blown adventure, and this one did not disappoint. I flew out to work graphics for Nexstar’s Coast to Coast Countdown, and for a few days my world was equal parts deadlines, live broadcast adrenaline, and that very specific thrill of knowing your work is going out to millions of people at once. Long days, fast turnarounds, and the kind of focus that leaves you tired in the best way.
In between show prep and graphics builds, I also managed to rack up a couple of very “me” moments. I somehow locked myself in the vestibule at KLAS not once, not twice, but three times—which I’m choosing to frame as performance art. I also got the chance to tour the old Howard Hughes house tucked behind the station, a strange little pocket of Vegas history hiding in plain sight. Equal parts awkward and iconic.
Those small windows of downtime during prep were when I snuck in some Vegas magic. I caught Penn & Teller at the Rio—my third time seeing them, and somehow they still managed to feel just as sharp and surprising as the first. Watching performers who’ve been at it that long makes you appreciate how much craft goes into making something look effortless. It was one of those experiences that sticks with you long after the curtain drops.
Then came Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart—my fourth trip into that beautifully chaotic universe, and somehow it still found new ways to scramble my sense of direction. Before heading in, I made sure I was… let’s say, legally prepared for the full experience. Which, in hindsight, only made getting lost in a surreal art-grocery-store maze feel even more on-theme. I wandered, I questioned reality, I tried to find the exit like a normal person. I failed. And honestly? No regrets.
Home base for the trip was Treasure Island, where Inked just opened a new location inside the casino—because of course Vegas would be the place where you can gamble, grab a snack, and get tattooed within the same block. Which leads us to the most Vegas sentence I’ve ever written: between checking out of my hotel and heading to the airport, I got a tattoo. On my face. Three tiny stardust sparkles under my left eye—permanent souvenir, fully intentional. Now I can literally 😉✨… although if I’d known how much time I’d spend afterward adding matching stars to every avatar, profile picture, and graphic I own, I might’ve briefly reconsidered. Briefly.
So that was my Vegas trip: broadcast prep, small mishaps, unexpected history tours, repeat visits to favorite shows and strange places, and a spontaneous tattoo to tie it all together. I came home tired, inspired, and carrying a little extra sparkle—on my face and in my memories. Exactly how a good trip should end.