Why To Break Your Own Rules On Vacation

One can argue that rules are a good thing. They keep you on track and establish boundaries. Then there are the seemingly random "rules" we establish for ourselves that keep us within our comfort zones. To paint with a very broad brush, we'd all be a little closer to our ~authentic selves~ if we were brave enough to break these personal laws.

When it comes to a town that embraces what's different, Las Vegas is the place. Conventional knowledge may say that what happens here stays here, broken rules and all. But the personal rules you break in Vegas can teach you a lot about loosening up in your everyday life. After all, who made the rule that every weekday lunch must be a salad scarfed down in front of your computer? Is there any reason you can't take a full face of fabulous stage makeup into the board room and not be taken seriously? Who ever said that you can't achieve your goals, and live in the moment simultaneously?

Four of our Bustle editors ventured to Vegas to get a little out of their comfort zones, and learned some valuable lessons along the way. Read on to find more about the various personal rules that our offbeat tourists broke in Vegas, and how they're incorporating those lessons in their out-of-Vegas lives.

"I'm a rather theatrical creature when I feel comfortable, but I don't fan out my peacock feathers for just any crowd. I wish I could say this was for a lack of needing approval, but it comes more from a fear of judgment — for being too loud, too self-indulgent, too much. Luckily, Vegas is a town where nothing is 'too' anything — aka, the perfect place to treat myself like a celebrity, get a massage or two, and test-drive some bombshell makeup from a Cirque du Soleil show. Lucky me, I got to do all of those things. In being my most extra, I felt like my purest self. Look out world, 'cause I might just wear feathers and fake lashes every day for the rest of my life. "

- Arielle Dachille, Branded Entertainment Editor, BDG Media

"There's a sense that you have to do certain things in certain cities. With Vegas, the conventional knowledge is that you go there to live it up, go to some pool parties, and see a couple DJ's. Sure! You can do all of those things. Instead, I was seeking some self-care in Vegas, and believe it or not, I found plenty of ~tranquility~. I juiced! I took yoga! I ventured out to the desert! I'm used, like many, to "doing as the Romans do" on vacation, but I loved defining Vegas in my own way."

- Suzanne McKenzie, Branded Lifestyle Editor, BDG Media

"Yes, relaxing vacations where you basically do nothing but eat, drink, and lounge can be just what you needed, but they’re not the only kinds of trips that leave you feeling recharged. In Vegas, both kinds of vacations are possible! My recent trip to Vegas was all about getting my adrenaline pumping and purposely taking myself out of my comfort zone, whether I was ziplining at 60 mph over a canyon, going backstage at a death-defying Cirque du Soleil show, or dining at a hidden restaurant-within-a-restaurant. And guess what? I came back to my regular life more energized than if I’d spent the whole time relaxing in a cabana!"

- Stephan Lee, Associate Director of Branded Content, BDG Media

"As a busy working adult, I'm pretty used to doing efficient lunches at my desk — think salad scarfed down in the middle of doing work. In Vegas, however, I exponentially upgraded my lunch game. I had a decadent bistro lunch at Bouchon with all the French delicacies you can think of. I did a full afternoon tea spread at the Tea Lounge at The Waldorf Astoria. It was a weekend of 'order everything on the menu that looks great to you,' and a great reminder to indulge."

- Callie Timpanaro, Director of Brand Strategy, BDG Media.

Images: Allison Gore/ Bustle

This article is sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.