RIO DEL SOL MAGAZINE
RIO DEL SOL MAGAZINE
Photos & Layout // Tony Pe単a Words // Deidre Chaisson
The Perks of a city in THE desert It was the start of a new year, 2014, and my boyfriend and I decided to celebrate in no city other than sin city itself, Las Vegas. We made several New Year resolutions to kick back all our old bad habits but to indulge one last time. We arrived in Las Vegas to be welcomed by a cold and blistering desert night. It felt near freezing and all the strippers and prostitutes had no other choice but to endure the painful weather or to cover up. I took about three days before life in the city became boring. Seeing the same buildings, lights, performers, tits, and depressed souls wasting away their change hoping to make it big. This modern day Sodom and Gomorrah, built in the middle of nowhere, is designed for the dreamers who want wealth and fame to be produced out of nowhere. The city’s vibes were just about getting to me. My wallet was empty, like my lost dreams for the city, and my stomach was full from the Texas size food portions in every cafÊ.
“It was here where Nevada sunset sett
marveled over the ting over the cliffs.�
“Red Rock Canyon, the enchanted desert wilderness.�
Despite all the emptiness in the city, it fulfilled something wonderful. Our New Year’s resolution seemed easier to stick to because we had just had an overdose of bad habits. I think we were just about through with the strip and all its guilty pleasures. The good thing about Las Vegas is that it is literally built in the desert. As soon as we need nature’s nurturing minerals it was right there waiting for us only 30 minutes from the strip! Red Rock Canyon, the enchanted desert wilderness. I was only truly able to appreciate the city when I was out of it. Just far enough not to be immersed in all of its toxins yet close enough to where I can see all of its beautiful lights. Driving though and hiking Red Rock canyon gave me a solitude I needed to feel, something that quenched my thirsty soul and rejuvenated it back to life. It was here where I marveled over the Nevada sunset setting over the cliffs. It was at this moment when I realized that perhaps Las Vegas had been created in the desert for a greater reason than I had expected. When city folks are just about to go insane from the hustle and bustle of the city, there is a quick escape into the beauty and solitude of the desert hills.
Without balance we cannot truly appreciate the absolute beauty of the city and nature. Just like city life has its certain dangerous adventures, so does nature. One is able to reflect on how beautiful the city can be when it is observed from a vanishing point and only its glittering stars are in view. The lights of the strip shine as brightly as the stars we make wishes on to fulfill all of our empty wishes. Yet like stars, on a clear night out in the desert is one of the most spectacular things to observe.
RIO DEL SOL MAGAZINE