What happens in Vegas

After only a few weeks here in Los Angeles, it was time to take advantage of the long weekend for Martin Luther King Day and head to Vegas. My colleagues from my internship with M&C Saatchi were full of recommendations, so we headed off to Vegas with high hopes for the weekend.

The canals at the Venetian – the ceiling is actually painted to look like a bright sunny day

The Iconic Caesar’s Palace

The Bellagio – the fountain is spectacular – where’s Danny Ocean

The opulence of Vegas truly has to be seen to be believed. Where else would you see 5 star hotels that recreate Venice, New York, Egypt or Paris. The financing required for resorts with such attention to detail is all the more impressive when you consider that many of these hotels were funded with junk bonds. The New York, NewYork rollercoaster was fairly rickety, and several of us ended up with bruises at the end, but definitely worth the novel experience of weaving in and out of a building.

The New York New York rollercoaster towers over Statue of Liberty.

That night we went to one of Vegas’ megaclubs, Hakkasan, for a Calvin Harris concert. After being pushed, squeezed and trampled, we made it to the front for a truly epic performance.

Waking up in pitch black the next morning, we could be forgiven for thinking it was still night time. Actually, it was 1pm in the afternoon, so we decided to hit up one of the famous hotel buffets for dinner. Satiated with almost 3 hours of bottomless drinks and food for $50 at the Aria hotel, we headed to a Cirque du Soleil show.

Impressive Cirque du Soleil performance, made all the more real by a few falls

Sunday was a trip to the Grand Canyon. Pun intended, it was grand. The photos can’t do justice to it, it truly is an impressive sight.

Before coming to Vegas, I’d expected that I would overhype it. But Vegas exceeded my expectations in every way. The food, the extravagance, the quirkiness, all created an amazing weekend for us. We’ll come crashing back to reality on Tuesday but for now, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Patrick Ward is an undergraduate student at the University of Sydney Business School. He is currently in the United States as part of the Los Angeles Placement Program, offered by the Business School in partnership with the United States Studies Centre.

Return to Los Angeles

Patrick Ward is an undergraduate student at the University of Sydney Business School. He is currently in the United States as part of the Los Angeles Placement Program, offered by the Business School in partnership with the United States Studies Centre.

It’s only been 4 months since I was last in the United States, but this trip couldn’t have come sooner. Ever since being accepted into the program, I’ve been counting down the days until I can return to the self-professed “land of the free, home of the brave”. America has a certain dynamism that makes it one of the most exciting countries for business. Earlier this year, I experienced the academic facets of America and now I relish the opportunity to focus on the business aspects of America.

LA/DC Industry Placement Program Predeparture Session

Although travel is one of the perks of this program, for me, living your life in a different city can be just as interesting. Everything that seemed mundane in Sydney like catching public transport, going to work, or even eating out, is now a new and vibrant experience.

That’s not to say the tourist side of the program won’t be fun. These two weeks before the program will add to my current LA tourist activities, such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Runyon Canyon and the hike to the Hollywood sign.

Hollywood Walk of Fame. Just watch you don’t bump into the throngs of tourists covering the streets of Hollywood. 

The view from Runyon canyon. If you go for jogs enough here, you may just spy a celebrity.

The hike to the Hollywood sign. Not for the faint-hearted, it’s a long trek in the intense LA heat.

Also, like any 90s kid, I had to visit the OC and the iconic Newport Pier. Like many friends who’ve made the trip before me, I was crushed to realise most of the TV show wasn’t even filmed in the OC.

Newport Pier. No sign of Ryan or Marissa

I’ve now been in Los Angeles for a couple of days and getting into the swing of LA life. I know the program is going to present a hefty challenge in terms of managing work, study and social life over this summer, but this opportunity, all clichés aside, really is once-in-a-lifetime.