Viva Las Vegas!
I truly am thankful for all the opportunities I have to travel and to see a little more of this world I live in. Nevada is the farthest west I have ever been before and it was my first time in Las Vegas! It was very exciting indeed. I won big on the casino floor my first night and being too timid to really give up that win, I didn't do much gambling after that.
Normally on these trips I like to make a list on the first day of all of the museums, restaurants, and other attractions I'd like to see and then plan out what I'll see on which days and how I will get there. Though Las Vegas has a lot to offer besides gambling on the strip, I found it difficult to really get anywhere else. No bikes, no scooters, no free little tram that runs up and down the main drag. So I threw my "to-do" list out of the window and did my next favorite thing: people watching! The Bellagio, where I was staying, proved perfect for people watching. The sunny Nevada weather didn't hurt either. I spent most of my days sitting by the pool, sunglasses on, relaxing in the sun. I like to observe how others interact with one another but I really love looking out for "selfies." How people are taking them, why, who, the concept of wanting to document yourself and the moment and how that inhibits a participation in that moment all run through my mind.
On the last day, there was plenty of time to kill before taking the red eye back to D.C. so we thought it was a good idea to rent a car, drive out of the city, and to get some photos of the beautiful Nevada landscape just as the sun was setting. The Hoover Dam was breathtaking at dusk. Dimly lit by the sun just below the horizon, the dam seemed larger than life. The name belies the greatness of the actual thing. Being there, I thought a lot about the strength of human ingenuity and seeing the water level as low as it was, I also thought about humanity's hubris.
Can't wait to see where life will take me next!