Vegas Vs. Rosarito

I just got back from two weeks in Mexico that felt more like two days. In Mexico, we’re in a smallish condo; in Vegas we’re in a much larger house. Yet, I find myself missing Mexico when I’m in Vegas a lot more than the opposite. Here’s a pic of the place in Rosarito:

Of course, a lot of that comes down to being able to really grind online. When I first got to Mexico, I made the mistake of playing way too many tables (jumping into the 25+ I used to play). I was like a starving kid that had to eat as much as possible for fear that the food would soon be taken away!

Now that I’ve adjusted to a more reasonable average of about 15 tables, I find that my summer grinding the WSOP + VDSE has made me a better poker player. I’m also careful to study my games and always strive to improve; I’ve had a few small wins and hopeful more results will follow on my next trip.

Another clear way in which Rosarito > Vegas is when it comes to the beach. Here’s a video I shot of Wilbur swimming in the ocean by our place with Collin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUkMS6EnUA0&feature=g-upl

Although I grew up mainly in Florida, I never really thought of myself as a beach person. For one thing, I’m pretty darn pale. Thanks to the advent of high SPF spray, this isn’t such an issue anymore. Our condo overlooks the ocean, and has a large amount of windows, so I actually have to wear high SPF even while inside. The sun is so bright in the early afternoon, that I wear a sombrero and sunglasses in order to see the tables on my screen! I might be the first person to ever get a sunburn while grinding indoors.

And the guacamole also rocks! Here’s what we got when Katie Stone ordered “a ton of guacamole” a K38:

Aside from the areas in which Rosarito is a clear winner, there are many aspects about Vegas that I love: primarily the access to live tournaments, fun and unique activities like The Pinball Hall of Fame, and Vegas’s great dining scene. But no major poker sites is such a huge negative, and I find often find myself bothered with many of the government’s actions.

Living in a country where the current president advertises on 2+2 despite the large amount of posters hurt by anti-poker legislation during his administration really annoys me. But my issues run much deeper than annoyance (and cross all traditional party lines), particularly with stories of the drone attacks in Pakistan. Whenever a modicum of truth surfaces in this regard, I find it so hard to think about how deeply US citizens are misled about their government’s actions every day.

It’s at least somewhat likely that we’ll end up living in Mexico full time in a few months, but until then I’ll take advantage of being able to enjoy two unique cities to the utmost extent; in Rosarito I’ll swim in the ocean every day, take in every sunset, and eat a ridiculous quantity of guacamole; in Vegas I’ll play live poker in 6-inch heels, and occasionally splurge on one too many glasses of champagne at dinner on the Strip. Luckily for me, those are all things that I love to do!