You find yourself squished into a window seat near the back row of the plane. You’ve been waiting for this trip for a bit over two months now. 

You’ve got an itinerary written up and a good idea of the prices and schedules of things that you’d like to do. Another passenger takes their seat next to you, and the flight takes off. 

Then, midair, the person next to you starts coughing, and they don’t stop. They’re hacking and wheezing and very quickly running out of tissues. 

This is exactly the kind of situation that my best friend found herself in on her flight to Vegas. The person next to them was me. 

Having a cold in Vegas is probably one of the most surreal experiences I could have, and was only survivable through the power of DayQuil – although that may have added to the surrealism. 

I can name a few dos and don’ts that helped me survive and could help anyone else who finds themselves sick in Vegas. 

Besides taking cold and flu medicine, my first piece of advice is to try not to push yourself. After landing in Vegas around 11 a.m., I was really eager to get moving. 

We only had a few days in Vegas after all, so we had so little time to do everything. I insisted we go to Omega Mart, a trippy art exhibit that we had been hoping to go to for years. 

While we were there, I thought I was having an amazing time. The whole art exhibit is themed to look like a grocery store built by aliens, I think. 

It’s really hard to make sense of the videos and story clues when you’re sick, but I powered through. 

I explored all the rooms: finding caves, lasers, slides that were blocked off due to safety reasons, mirrors and so many flashing lights. 

I thought I was doing great until my best friend snapped a photo of me. What I saw was barely open eyes, a red nose and a face puffy enough to rival the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. 

The next day, we both crashed and didn’t go out again until 2 p.m. This is how I learned my second tip, which is to make sure to get plenty of rest. 

Even if that meant less time to go out, it improved my mood and helped me better appreciate the things we did than regret the things we didn’t. 

We actually found a lovely bakery near the Chinatown area and spent a relaxed afternoon there eating sweets. 

My last piece of advice is, don’t go to Fremont Street. I would say that in general, but having a cold worsens the experience even further. 

Fremont is notorious for its street performers who try to wrestle you into taking a photo with them and giving them a massive tip. 

My grandma got my friend and I roped into taking a photo with shirtless cowboys who were pretty pissed when grandma refused to pay them. Safe to say that it’s a place that is pretty loud and overwhelming, but most of all, very smoky. 

I’m not entirely sure what I inhaled while taking a stroll through Fremont Street, but it was enough to throw me back into a coughing fit and drain me of all my remaining energy as we were trying to leave.

That ended up being the last thing we did while in Vegas before leaving, and I think I had a pretty successful trip while I was down there. 

Spending time with my friends and loved ones was the highlight, and that brings me to my biggest piece of advice: By enjoying the time you spend with the people with you, you’ll be able to have a good time no matter what. 

Also have a margarita. I think that’s what cured me in the end.

Curtin can be reached at [email protected].