i’d packed my car. i’d had a rain-soaked, teary goodbye with the love of my life. i watched my mother sob when i left—this time somehow different from the other 10 times i’d moved to a different state. i had two cats in my car and hotel reservations in St. Louis, Denver, and Las Vegas.
i didn’t leave till 5pm, so that first trip was a Looonnngg 13hrs, but i got to the hotel and zonked out long enough to tackle my second 12hr day of driving. i ran on music and adrenaline. i saw beautiful Kansas landscapes and my cats were really wonderful in the car. i almost died in the Rockies and got gauged for gas (at 2.69/gal-can you imagine?!) in Utah. on the third day, or night rather, i crossed the border into Nevada and i could already see the glow in the sky. i was still filled with anticipation, and i had a hard time sleeping in my Boulder Strip hotel bed.
the next morning i checked out and went to sign the lease on my new apartment. the process was annoying, because i just wanted to stretch out and chill, but once it was finished, i took my cats in (so happy to be out of their crate), went to the grocery store, and went HOME.
i believe that, laying on my air mattress that night, fighting the giggles to go to sleep, was the most supremely happy and at peace that i’ve ever felt. every cell was bursting with oxygen and my skin could barely contain the energy. if you opened me up, you’d have found blinding white light.
i got up four times during the night to look at the Strip from my balcony.
a week later, Dennis came to visit. he brought a cat with him on the plane, which was horrible for him. that aside, we had a great time, if i remember correctly…we gambled, went out to Lake Mead, kissed at the spot on Hoover Dam that divides Nevada from Arizona, discovered Milo’s Best Cellars, spent a lot of time in the jacuzzi. he said he could get used to living there, maybe even enjoy it. his trip was too short.
he left Sunday night before i started my new job on Monday. i cried much of the night, but woke up with enough anticipation to quelch the sadness. i can barely remember my first day at HDPL. i had my own desk. some of the staff took me to lunch. everyone was shocked that my car didn’t have air conditioning. i was allowed to wear jeans and flipflops.
i went home and called everyone i knew. all the stars had aligned and my life was perfect.
i was a changed woman. i woke up with a smile on my face, got to work 20-30 minutes early, joined a gym, and lived Well. i called Dennis almost every morning, then emailed him every chance i got. i made friends who were gracious enough to go out with me to check out every club, divebar, after-hours, and buffet on the Strip.
and the answer is…my life was Good.
it rained three whole times that summer. i learned that you have to crack your car windows to make sure the heat inside doesn’t blow them out. we had a record temp. day…126 degrees. i learned that when it’s that hot, the air that rushes into your car as you drive feels like a blow dryer. i learned that the best time to sunbathe in the desert is before 9am. i learned that it doesn’t take long to get used to everything being open 24/7. i learned that Vegas was where i felt most at home.
my days were boring…work, gym, pool, home, dinner, read, bed. weekends were more fun…clubs, buffets, drive-in movies. and let me tell you something…no one loves Vegas more than the Locals.
