What Happens In Vegas . . .

Ok, I know it’s been a while and I promised to post up a blog a few days after I got here but I honestly just got so caught up sightseeing and being a tourist that I forgot about all that. This morning I woke up fresh and motivated so I decided to just write a brief recap of my USA trip so far. For those who don’t know, this is my first trip to mainland. I’ve covered Hawaii in September last year so this year I thought I’d take it up a notch and cover San Francisco. Well at least that’s what I thought until Vegas came up. My bestie Samantha surprised me with a Vegas trip the day I got in to SFO. I was jet lagged from the 10 hour flight so I didn’t really know how to react to her surprise. The next morning we packed and started our 8 hour drive down to Las Vegas, Nevada. Being the only one in the group that doesn’t know how to drive, I was designated co-pilot for the ride to and from. It’s nothing a karaoke and snacks can’t fix. Vegas was everything I imagined it would be. I’ve traveled to parts of Australasia and the Pacific but I’ve never seen anything quite like this. The Raiwaqa kid in me was shook and as much as I wanted to ‘kaicolo’ out loud, I had to maintain and keep it together. The lights was like Hong Kong at night x 1000. People walking along the strip with their alcohol, mini Paris and mini Egypt just around the corner and endless lights. I felt like I covered other countries just being in Vegas alone and the Diwali lights back home came nowhere close to this. Samantha, Ranadi, Pana and I checked-in to the Hilton which was home for the weekend. A trip to IHOP for late dinner and again to AppleBees for breakfast with our high school friends was mandatory. It was my first Rugby game ever. I’m not so much of a rugby fan but I did it for the experience and I LOVED it! The energy at the Sam Boyd Stadium was electric. Blue flags everywhere and as much as I wanted to play ‘kalasi’, I cheered my heart out with everybody else. Unfortunately, Fiji lost to New Zealand, but that didn’t dampen anybody’s spirit. The Fiji flag still flew high and our Fiji fans still cheered around the arena towards their cars after the game. It was a celebration and there was no division. Indians and Fijians, everyone cheered with one accord and that was beautiful to see. Back home we segregate and pick on minority races even over the pettiest things, but in Vegas or at any other Rugby Tournament I presume, everyone’s united, everyone carries one flag and everyone cheers for one team - Fiji. After the game we headed back to the room and got ready for the after party. Girl, when I say I had nothing to wear, I legit had nothing at all to wear. I was mixing and matching the clothes I brought from Fiji to the ‘T’, so Sammy and I made a stop at ROSS where I only spent $25USD for my entire outfit. How’s that for ‘Dressing on a Budget’?! The nightlife in Vegas is unreal. It’s almost like Vegas doesn’t sleep. We club hopped from the Chateau in Paris to the Casino in Luxor and ended the night with a glass of Vodka and Soda at the esteemed NewYork NewYork nightclub. That’s just a brief summary of our Vegas weekend and it was definitely one for the books. I met so many amazing Fijians living in America and hit it right off. Julie, Milly and Dee to Orisi and Pana. Everyone showed nothing but love towards this ‘innocent’ Raiwaqa sister. Lol Thank you again Samantha for this surprise. I wouldn’t have had it any other way but to have done this trip with you. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Food For Thought: So, I’ve finally decided to add a FFT at the end of every blog from now on just to end my story-time on a good note. Today’s FFT really is based on my observation while being here. I honestly admire the hustle and grind that our Fijian people here have. Everyone’s always on-the-go and working graveyard shifts and odd hours just to make ends meet. We live life so slow back home. It’s definitely been a reality-check for me. I’ve come to realize just how important hustling and working hard is and that life isn’t the same everywhere you go. I was telling my friend Kimmy that it’s so easy to get lost out here so it’s super important to remain grounded and to always spend time with your family. But anyways, that’s that. It was a whole process trying to get here and I’d like to thank those who lent a helping hand in making this happen. My dear friend Sammy and her loving family for taking me in for however long I’m here, Aunty G for always pulling through for me, to my parents for always reminding me to behave (lol) and of course, my guardian angel for stepping in at the very last minute. I owe you my everything. (you know who you are).💓 I won’t promise a date for my next update but I’ll definitely be posting another update before I return home in 4 weeks time. Xx PS: This year I plan to cover as much travel content as I can together with Fashion content too. So I’m hoping for Hawaii again in June (because my last trip was a week long and there’s only so much you can cover in a week LOL), Dubai in (hopefully) July, Thailand in September and again to Sydney in December. In between that it’s just Fijian Fashion content and more on Leleuvia Island Resort and the new AirBnB in Nadi. I’m also super excited to see what Fiji Fashion Week and Fijian Fashion Festival has to offer this year together with my journey with SPTO as their Social Media Influencer and Ambassador. I have so much in store for you all this year and I just realized I’ve just told you my draft content for the year 2019 LOL but thasss aight! Till my next update. Stay blessed and beautiful. TGL