**Warning: This is a longer than usual post here. I think I’m going to start sharing a little more of myself and my life on here. I’ve always found writing to be an excellent creative outlet, and, well, you may have gathered that I have quite the affinity for the creative side of things. 🙂

Whew! What a whirlwind week it’s been! For a couple of months I have been lamenting the fact that I wasn’t going to be able to attend WPPI in Las Vegas this year. (WPPI stands for Wedding and Portrait Photographers International, and this is one of the largest trade shows/conventions in the industry) It wasn’t in the budget, and frankly, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to leave our daughter overnight for the first time (She’s only 20 months old! What if she forgets us? More importantly, what if she forgets ME?!). Then two weeks ago I received a little buzz on my phone from my Twitter app – I had won a full registration to WPPI from Multiblitz USA! After doing a happy dance for about 13 minutes, I realized that this would mean leaving our girl for a few nights. I knew she would be in good hands with my parents, so with their encouragement and hubby’s urging for a little getaway, we decided to go for it.

We used Hotwire to book a 4 star room on the South Strip for $82/night. For anyone that hasn’t used Hotwire before, you purchase your hotel reservations at a deeply discounted rate based on star rating and general area – but you don’t find out what hotel you’ve booked until you’ve submitted your payment. We wound up with Tropicana, which was a slight disappointment in our minds (when we heard 4 star we were imagining Paris or Monte Carlo at least). We couldn’t really argue with the low room rate though, and it was right across the street from the MGM, where WPPI was taking place. Convenient = fine by us.

I spent Saturday crying whenever I thought about leaving my girl, and early Sunday morning cried again as we bid her goodbye for the next few days. Those of you who are not-yet parents are probably rolling your eyes, but I’m sure you first time parents know the feeling when you had to leave your little one for the first time overnight. It’s not easy! I almost wanted to stow her away with us, but I knew that a little vacay with the hubby was much needed as well, so we were off, hitting the road bright and early.

We checked into the Tropicana early, and we got upgraded to one of their mini suites! All we had to do was simply ask. Great lesson- it never hurts to just ask for that upgrade! The worst that can happen is they say no, right?! Overall the hotel was clean, and the bed was super comfortable. Not a terribly impressive place to stay, but we really didn’t have anything to complain about. It’s clear that they’ve put in some work to renovate inside, so if you can find a really great deal and are on a tight budget, I would definitely recommend this place.

As for my first impressions of WPPI – WOAH there are a lot of photographers out there! I had no idea it would be such a massive event, but the excitement was in the air right when we walked into the MGM. Throughout the week I met some wonderful people, and had one of the most incredible opportunities I could ever imagine – a private dinner with some of the most insanely talented and celebrated photographers in the WORLD. Without boring you with too many more details, I left feeling so incredibly inspired, ready to take on some new challenges and make some exciting changes for my business. I can’t wait for what this year has to bring for Alexandra Keller Photography! 🙂

I thought it would be fun to showcase little snippets of our trip via Instagram photos. Here’s the gist of our trip: