Is it normal to start packing clothes for a trip a week in advance? Probably not. That doesn’t stop me from doing it, checking items off my list as I go. Being a [total type-A] girl is hard, okay?

One of the really cool perks about my job is every year we attend a 3-day trade show in Las Vegas. And for the last two years I have been the employee ‘elected’ (aka the only one logically available) to go. Last year was nerve-wracking: my first time ever traveling alone, my first trip to Vegas, and my first time doing actual sales pitches for my company. I had a blast and completely blew my boss out of the water (‘the finance girl is good at SALES?!’ …le duh. I’m good at everything). Through all my fears, doubts and insecurities during this trip, I was so fricken happy to have made it out of my comfort zone and back to tell the story.

Despite what felt like a huge feat for me, I still feel like I didn’t take as much advantage of my situation as I could have (though, I was grateful not to be the stud in the booth next to me who got too drunk to show up for work the next morning and basically got fired from his job while still in Vegas). This year I am going back with vengeance. The whole aspect of traveling is still a little scary to me… I have no qualms about being on a plane, but I’m that girl who expects to get on the wrong plane (most irrational fear ever?), or that my luggage will never show up and I’ll never see my favorite dress or shoes ever again (so not irrational). I figure, as long as I can work through that, I’m ready to slaughter this trip. Schmooze all the potential clients I can, eat as much as possible (oh, last year the week before I left I also got a stomach bug which I had trouble bouncing back from as well), and welcome a visitor who actually purchased her plane ticket a few weeks ago! We opted to stay an extra couple days because of this, and because I never took an actual vacation last year. So, why not take it when my hotel and travel is paid for?

Are you ready for me, Vegas?