Getting Settled

First: thanks for the comments! I so enjoyed them...

We arrived in Las Vegas around suppertime. Although BB had told me many times what it is like there, I was still overwhelmed walking through the airport and such. It wasn't the kind of overwhelmed I expected. I think it was more from leaving my homemaker-homeschool bubble than it was my new surroundings. It was me the clueless sheltered 30-something with her experienced-traveler husband.

The above photo was taken from our taxi driving away from the airport. You can see part of the strip, but mostly, check out that sunset and those mountains! Oh, and I don't know that I'd ever ridden in a real taxi before that day. I so enjoy new experiences - even if I did feel awkward and wondered: do we make conversation or no?

BB and I would never choose Las Vegas as a trip destination. Given time and freedom we'd love to explore the natural attractions of that region - mountains, desert, Grand Canyon, but we're not really night-life casino people. I know you are surprised to hear that.

Our hotel was quite grandiose and Italian-themed. Very beautiful, honestly. That was when I started just taking in beauty. I included these photos just to show the ceilings. The sky-look was so dreamy and peaceful.

Most of that first night was spent working (he on his school and me on mine...my getting the assignments and notes emailed to BeBe and our sweet homeschool helper) and on having dinner with some of BB's coworkers, none of whom I had met before that evening.

The next morning, he left early for the conference, which was being held in our hotel. I thought I'd sleep in, but the time change (2 hours earlier for us) messed me up. So I made myself take.my.time. getting ready for the day. I'm so used to hurrying, to skipping this or that little habit (like flossing, or putting on makeup!). Then, I was off in search of coffee. And breakfast. I figured I'd cross the street to Starbucks, but then realized it was raining, and me with no umbrella, so I was forced to eat in the French restaurant inside our hotel. What a treat! I got out my tiny brown cardboard Moleskine (my designated trip journal) and started writing, there all by myself at breakfast on a rainy day in Vegas.

And then, to my own surprise, I decided to go walking, rather than rest in the room. And I soon found a pleasant challenge: take photos here that show beauty but don't scream VEGAS!

Even if it's all unoriginal and reproduction, I loved all the Italian Renaissance themed statues and architecture. Just breathtaking.

The mountains again! It was somewhere along these sidewalks and crosswalks that I made a friend: a homeless man named Jeff. I will share more about him in the next post - a special story...