Livin la vida loca

Historically, when I have been new in a city, I have asked the people I meet IF they like living there and WHY. In Green Bay, a lot of people have lived there all of their lives, and it's kind of a puzzling question to them. "Well, of course I like living here, who wouldn't?" And, if you've never lived in Green Bay, you might not understand that. But, I do. People like living there because there's a real sense of community. When it snows, neighbors you have never met come with their snow blowers and clear your driveway. We're all in it together, and it really shows. It's a small-town family kind of place.

In Denver, there's a saying that no one who lives in Denver is really FROM Denver. And there is some truth to that. Denver is a destination kind of place. A lot of people want to live there because of the beautiful scenery, the great climate and the close proximity to a myriad of outdoor activities. Denver is a fantastic city with a lot going on, and we very much enjoyed living there.

So, now we're in Vegas. I have asked a lot of people IF they like living here and WHY. I get very similar answers, for the most part. Yes, they like living here, but it took some time living here to be able to say that. How much time?? Three years is the usual answer. (sigh) When you ask WHY, you get a lot of the usual answers...the entertainment, the weather (9 months out of the year, I hear it's great), and all of the perks of living in a big city. I recently asked a store clerk (to be fair, he was working at a teenage clothing store and was about 20, so I should have expected it) WHY he liked living here. His answer?

"Where else can you get a full meal at 3am? I mean, if I moved somewhere else, I'd probably starve."

Wow.