The summer before the senior year of college is often filled with many decisions: deciding which schools to visit, which graduate admissions tests to take and decisions about what to do after graduating from college. This summer has definitely been a stressful one for me between studying hard for my LSAT (Law School Admission Test), scheduling law school visits and doing work in the community, so when I found out I was getting a chance to go to Las Vegas practically for free, I jumped at the chance. I had to pay for my flight, but my hotel and registration for the conference I would be attending was paid for. I would be attending Freedom Fest, advertised as “the world’s largest gathering of free minds.” From the welcome to the closing ceremonies, I felt intellectually stimulated, and I learned so many things that I would not have if I did not attend this conference. In fact, prior to Freedom Fest, I would have never considered myself a Libertarian, but now, I’d say that I’m not far from it.

Many people go to the Grand Canyon and visit shops up and down the strip during their stay in Las Vegas. I did some of that stuff, but that was only part of the trip. I explored the strip during the nighttime, but during the day, I immersed myself in the conference experience. I feel like I could have gained more from the conference, but I am satisfied with the knowledge that I have gained from the lived experiences of others. The Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson, was at the conference. Also, I had the privilege of meeting Steve Forbes at the Students for Liberty reception at the beginning of the conference. Since I never attended any Students for Liberty conferences prior to this one, I was not quite sure what to expect, but I will definitely say that Freedom Fest was not a disappointment. Upon my arrival to Planet Hollywood, I attended Student Mini-Conference sessions focused on student activism. Some of the stuff in these sessions I knew, but a lot of it was new to me. I was given the tools from people’s lived experiences to help me with my activism on my campus, as well as in my community.

Las Vegas was an unforgettable experience. If anyone has a chance to attend Freedom Fest, I highly recommend it. This will be one of the highlights of my summer, and I cannot think of a better time for me to have taken a leap of faith and attend this great conference. I am thankful to have the opportunity to have been able to attend this event. I am thankful for all of the experiences that I have had with my roommate. I am thankful for all of the people that I met at Freedom Fest. I am thankful to have had such a wonderful experience in Las Vegas that was filled with many lovely lessons that I will treasure forever. I will not forget them. I will not forget this trip.