One month in Sin City, one challenge I face

One month into living in yet another state, and I’m happy to report I’ve survived.

Really, there’s not much else to say other than the fact that I have a job I really love (and I feel so fortunate to have), and I’ve adjusted to Sin City quicker and more easily than I anticipated. Granted, I’m still trying to get a feel for my neighborhood and the areas I cover, and there is SO MUCH to take in.

Vegas away from the Strip is not what you expect. Some of it reminds me of Texas, minus the gorgeous mountains and seeing In-N-Out Burger joints all over the place. The city — and especially the area in which I live — is strip mall after strip mall. Each neighborhood city seems completely different. The types of people and the environment vary greatly in each neighborhood, and you can distinguish the differences pretty quickly. The cost of living here — even renting an apartment — is comparable to that of living in Texas, and everything I could need is three minutes away at almost any given time. Above all, what I love the most is that Vegas is ideal, not only for its beautiful scenery and hiking, but also for its opportunities for creativity. There’s something about being in the desert that has allowed me to think more creatively than I ever have before, and other people feel the same as evidenced by the really cool art community this city possesses.

My point is Las Vegas is not a bad place to live at all. But I’m sure it’s an even better place when you have people with whom to share time and explore the city.

I’m fortunate to have all I do, especially to have a job I enjoy and to know my hard work got me to a point I never imagined I’d reach. But I’m missing what I took for granted most when I was in school: My friends.

I can’t begin to tell you how difficult it is to make friends in a city where you don’t know a soul. And it’s worse when you don’t know anyone who’s been in the same situation to talk to about it. I won’t deny that it takes an immense amount of courage to put yourself out there and take a giant leap of faith by leaving life as you know it and having everything change in an instant. But I also won’t deny that I continue to learn something new about myself and my situation every single day just by taking these chances. There are so many places I want to go and things I want to see here, but it’s less fulfilling (and fun) without someone to accompany me.

I’m not really sure how to go about meeting people or making friends here, especially being a fresh college graduate. I’ve yet to meet anyone in the same boat (and anyone who isn’t intimidated or weirded out by my unconventional love for sports, especially football). I’ve never been in a situation where I wasn’t surrounded by friends or acquaintances, and watching football games alone every weekend gets really old, really fast.

So if anyone has any tips (or plans to come visit me here!), please let me know. Because right now, I’m in one of the most awkward situations of my life, and I’ll take whatever advice I can get.