I have to admit, in the final moments of my American
adventure, Las Vegas has won me over. It got me. I’m officially converted to
city life, although my bank account is screaming at me not to. I feel pretty
bad to admit that I was relieved to be back in the city after my time on the
road. Maybe because I’m from a small town, it made such an exciting change to
be in such an unfamiliar, large place.
However, I can’t help but look at Vegas quite critically
now. After all the places I have seen on this trip, Las Vegas feels less personal,
as if there is a lack of connection between the place and the people which
visit it. Vegas is all about money and selling a lifestyle to its visitors,
which is vastly different to places such as Kanab or Marble Canyon. In a sense,
I can see through Las Vegas now, past the glitz and the glamour, to see how
tacky it really is. This doesn’t mean to suggest I don’t love being in Las
Vegas though, but I don’t think I could ever live here. I’m happy to be a
passing visitor through the city. Moehringer suggests that “Thought people
enjoy coming to Vegas, what they really love is leaving”[1] Maybe
this is why I’m suddenly so fond of Vegas now, because I know I’m leaving, and
I’ve gained a whole side of appreciation towards the city. Or maybe I simply
just prefer it to many of the other places we’ve visited. Either way, I will be
happy to go home, despite how much I’ve completely loved every single
experience in America.
(The reverse of the famous 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas' sign, saying goodbye to each visitor.)
Something Alasdair Spark said in our final seminar in the
city resonates in my mind whilst considering all of this. “Why do some people
live in places you wouldn’t? What does that say about them? What does that say
about you?” On reflection, I’d be pretty
happy to live in Flagstaff or the outskirts of Vegas. Why? Because I feel they
each reflect a part of me, the small town girl full of creative ideas and
dreams of bigger cities. I don’t think I’d suit places such as Kanab and Marble
Canyon, they were too quiet and dissociated with modern living, I felt too much
like an outsider there. Maybe this says a lot about me as a person, but
ultimately, my views of America are really positive, and I can’t wait to come
back to the States.
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