One would think that after three incredible days in Vegas, there would be nothing left to say, especially not about the day I flew home. Oddly enough, adventure still managed to find me one last time…
Waking up far too early yet again, my friend was out the door before I was even dressed, off to drop her daughter off at work and bring back a life-saving cup of strong black coffee. While she was away, I reluctantly started packing. Despite not buying much, I still had to get a bit creative with my packing. I was very glad I decided to bring my big backpack because dang! By the time I was done, that sucker was full!
With packing complete and coffee consumed, it was time to check out of the hotel and head to lunch. Breakfast? Dinner? I’m not really sure what it was, but considering it was the only meal I had that day, does it really matter what it’s called?
Having consumed absolutely zero Korean food over the past few days, it only made sense to end our adventures with a little Korean BBQ. And what better place to scratch that itch than by visiting BTS’ favorite Korean restaurant? In all honesty, we weren’t going to bother going because the place had been packed all week and neither of us really felt like waiting in line for ages to eat a meal that would cost us way too much, when we could just as easily get something similar elsewhere. But then, as we were loading up the car, I started thinking… (A dangerous thing to do, I know!)
Here I was in Vegas, with one of my dearest friends, enjoying a BTS-filled week of wonder and joy. When would I ever have another chance to do something like this again? When would I be in a place where I could eat a meal at a restaurant known to be one of my favorite band’s favorite places, with dishes that were actual member favorites, with a friend who would appreciate it all every bit as much as I did? The answer was obviously never, so then I started thinking some more… Why would I let something as silly as a price tag keep me from enjoying this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? Sure, the meal set was ridiculously overpriced but so what? My friend had done so much to make this week possible, covered so many of our expenses herself, it would be absolutely wrong of me to not do this one little thing in return. So I did the only thing I could do, I offered to make this one last hurrah my treat. Because why not? It’s Vegas, baby and you really do only live once!
I’m happy to say it didn’t take her much convincing to join me on this little adventure, so off we went! It was early enough in the day that we were one of the first in line at the restaurant, which was great because it meant we got to sit on the bench right in front of the storefront, under the awning and out of the sun. I guess the K-Pop gods were still looking out for us! Little did I know just how much!
Being one of the first in line, we were very naturally one of the first to be seated. Not long after seating us, one of the older gentlemen working (and by older I mean my age, so not actually old at all) came over to talk to the ladies at the table next to us, before working his way over to us. While we chatted, he casually asked if we liked BTS, to which we casually replied in the affirmative, adding that we’ve been fans for a very long time. When he wrapped up the conversation and walked away, we figured that was the end of it but about halfway through the meal he came back, as servers usually do, to check on how we were doing and start up a little more chit-chat. This time, as we were chatting, he happened to just casually throw out that BTS had been in for dinner at around 02:00 that morning. My friend and I were happy to hear that, as it’s not every day you occupy the same space as your favorite humans within such a short amount of time. But that little tidbit of news was just a teaser for what he was about to tell us.
Turns out, not only was BTS eating dinner in the same restaurant we were now dining, mere hours earlier, but they were sitting in the exact same seats we (and the three ladies at the table to my left) were now sitting. To say our collective minds were blown would be a bit of an understatement. I asked my friend if she had any idea who might have been sitting in her seat but in the end, she didn’t have to guess because the same gentleman came back again and told us exactly who was sitting where. The woman closest to me at the table next to us was sitting in RM’s seat, across from her was where Jin had been sitting, and next to her was where J-Hope had been sitting. My friend, turns out, was sitting in Suga’s seat and I was sitting in Jungkook’s.
Now, I’m not one to go absolutely bat-shit crazy, just because I’m breathing the same air as my favorite idols (I might get a little excited every now and then but nothing too crazy, I swear!) but finding out that you’re sitting in a seat that was occupied, only hours before, by BTS is an unexpected surprise, to be sure! I mean, when you think about it, what are the freaking odds? The restaurant wasn’t small, they could have seated us anywhere, but they sat us right there, at that exact moment, with no chance of anyone else having sat there since BTS left… It’s just one of those things that’s too crazy to really comprehend and yet, it happened. We sat in their seats, eating foods that they love, at a restaurant they love, right after seeing them give us a show we all loved… Talk about a surreal moment! And to think we almost missed out on this weird and random happenstance because of something as ridiculous as money… It’s wild, man. Absolutely wild!
Had the K-Pop gods really been smiling on us this entire time? I don’t know but there had been plenty of moments over the past few days when it felt like they had been and that was definitely one of them!
From the restaurant we went around the corner to visit a pretty groovy K-Pop store where I spent way too much money buying albums I should have owned years ago but somehow never got around to buying as a physical copy. I would say don’t judge me but really, I don’t care if you do. Life was rough in those days and I’m just happy I have the means to make up for lost time now! Bringing home five albums wasn’t on my things-to-do-in-Vegas list, but considering out of those five albums, three of them had Jimin’s photo card in them, I’d say it was totally worth it! (And yes, for those of you who don’t already know or haven’t been able to figure it out by now, Jimin is my bias and has been for a very, very, very long time.)
The worst part of traveling is knowing that eventually, you have to go home. With the day quickly getting away from us, there were just a couple more stops we had to make before we headed for the airport. Luckily, one of those stops was next to a cute little cafe that just happened to be advertising a BTS-themed drink on their sidewalk sandwich board. Unable to resist one last little treat, we stepped inside and I walked out with the cutest little ARMY-themed latte which, coincidentally enough, was also quite tasty. Drink-in-hand, it was time to head to the airport, my heart overflowing with joy so intense, I had to fight really hard not to just break down and cry.
To say this trip was unforgettable feels like such a ridiculous understatement. Spending four days with people who heal your soul is always a good thing, but doing that in a city full of fellow ARMY who are overflowing with an abundance of joy that rivals your own, is something else entirely. The city felt alive with this overall sense of community and camaraderie that I’m convinced you could never find anywhere else on earth. I mean, I suppose if BTS takes over another city like this, you might be able to experience the same thing there, but I don’t know… There’s just something about Vegas. It has an energy all its own and when you pair that with the love and devotion of tens of thousands of ARMY, it’s really nothing short of magic.
