Vegas, I Love You
Vegas,
Less than 12 months ago, I drove 2,000+ miles in my car with my pup in the back (followed by mom in a moving truck) to make you my new home. When I came up over the hill on the 515 and I saw the skyline of the Strip, I couldn’t stop smiling. You see Vegas, I was not in a good place when I arrived. My mental health was at an all-time low. I was depressed and in desperate need of a fresh start. And boy did you deliver!
We were welcomed with open arms. We dove right in when it came to experiencing what it was like to live in Vegas. Friends took us around the city to show us the hidden gems the average tourist never sees. We spent every moment we could traversing the trails at Red Rock Canyon National Park and Mt. Charleston, basking in the sun of your endless patio-sitting days, eating phenomenal meals with friends, and exploring pockets of the city we would never know existed. Your bright blue cloudless skies and fresh air cleared my head and gave me space to breathe in what felt like the first time in over a year. You were the first place since I left Austin, Texas after college that felt like home.
People ask if I love you, Vegas - as if it would be laughable for me to say yes - and I cannot stop the smile from spreading across my face as I answer with an emphatic yes, oh yeah, absolutely or 10/10 would recommend! My response is usually met with a shocked “really?” accompanied by a quizzical look. And let me tell you Vegas, I am loyal to those I love, so I come to your defense. I tell them about your amazing communities, your quick access to national parks, your mouth-watering food, Mt. Charleston, Old Vegas, Chinatown, the Arts District, and so much more. That you, Vegas, are so much more than the Strip and its associated assumptions.
As I reflect on our eleven months together, Vegas, I must say thank you. Thank you for welcoming us without questions. Thank you for lifting the heavy weight we brought with us off our shoulders. Thank you for providing us with more memories than I thought were possible for eleven months.
So now, it is time we part ways. We’re moving back to Ohio, but it has nothing to do with you Vegas. It really is us and not you. I promise. We would stay here for as long as we could if it were possible. Brian’s job is taking us back to the state where we met. And Vegas, I cried. A lot. I was terrified for my emotional and mental health. I did not want to go back to how I felt eleven months ago.
But because of you, our time in Ohio will be different. We needed this time with you to clear our heads and be in the mindset to call Ohio home and enjoy our time there. This time we won’t let the literal gray clouds create a figurative gray cloud over us.
You’ll always have a special place in our hearts. And we promise to drive carefully and come back soon.
xx,
Lindsae
