Bachelor parties. The mere utterance of the phrase invokes images of sin, debauchery, dead hookers and Clark Griswold. Clark Griswold? Yeah, Las Vegas reminds me of National Lampoon. If you haven’t seen Vegas Vacation,it’s a must-see for any pre-teen/teen who is wondering why adults dream of going to Vegas. It gives a tame and funny view of the outer shell of Sin City and was really my first exposure to Vegas. I later realized how much more there was to Vegas with movies like Very Bad Things, Fear & Loathing, and of course The Hangover.  But I can honestly say that I never really had the desire to go to Vegas, I’m more of an adventurer. I like to visit parts of the world with history or adventure. Like the time I took myself to Cuba and explored the north coast. Then there was the Amusement Park Adventure with my partner-in-crime – 6 days in Orlando, 5 parks, and Stone Temple Pilots live at the Hard Rock.

Then there was the backpacking trip in Europe with my buddy Shaun. Europe, oh man what a trip. It was our first time in Europe and I’ll never forget no matter how hard I try. We landed in Paris and the trip started like your typical touristy adventure. The Eiffel tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and miles and miles of walking. But our last night in Paris turned the corner and started a whirlwind of memories and mishaps. After too much partying, we raced to the train station to catch our transport to Nice, only to have the doors close just as we got there. We had an unfortunate evening at the Casino in Nice where we learned that the house rules in Europe are different then back home. The train ride to Rome had us meeting two Egyptian girls that kept us up longer then we anticipated and tested Shaun’s comfort zone. It’s unfortunate for Shaun that I took pictures, but unfortunately for me we got our camera stolen in Munich. Munich was fun, the beer there was awesome and I was so impressed by the fact that the Litre mug of beer is standard in Europe. That also meant that the hangover came sooner and were a little stronger. After a few litres with lunch I was asleep by 4 and hung over by 8.

Now, my travelling mate is getting married and I’m so very happy about this. Before my words are misunderstood – I am not an advocate of weddings or the institution of marriage, that’s just my opinion. I feel that a wedding and marriage are not necessary to show how much you love someone. That comes from the way you live every day of your life with them. I’m happily un-married and I’m hoping I stay that way, but I’m happy that Shaun is going to be able to live his life with someone he truly loves. But I’m happiest about the bachelor party being thrown in his honour.

I have been waiting for one of my boys to get married so that we can do something epic for the bachelor party. I had an inkling that Shaun would be the first to get married and when he finally told me that he proposed, my thoughts went right to the bachelor party. I knew that it would be either Amsterdam or Las Vegas, and fortunately he picked the less expensive trip (I think). So in the fine tradition of many a Hollywood film, the boys and I are heading into the desert for the right of passage that Shaun must take before entering into matrimony. Now to the heart of the matter: why do we have to go to Las Vegas?

I’ve been asked by friends and co-workers wherever I go “Why are you going to do that to his fiancée?” Answering that question has made me think that a lot of women has misconstrued the idea of what a bachelor party means to us guys. The fact of the matter is that when a guy get’s married (or is in a long-term, common-law, co-habiting relationship) he is not only responsible to himself for his actions, but to those he’s committed to. This means that we can’t choose to just take off for a three-day weekend trip to Montreal without at least a phone call to let your partner know that you’ll be MIA for a few days. But when you get married or committed, that changes – you’re not only accountable to yourself, but are also now accountable to the family you’ve chosen to be part of.

So this is why we throw bachelor parties, not to have one last fling or to celebrate our “freedom”, it’s more of a marker that signifies the end of our careless ways and the start of a new chapter in our lives. So there shouldn’t be any fear of the bachelor party, it’s a celebration for guys and a way to say farewell to our carelessness. And what better way then to go to Las Vegas, a city where carelessness is King!

And on that note, 13 more days till Vegas!!