10 Things About Vegas I Didn't Know Until I Got Here

1. And they say Chicago is the Windy City.
On more than one occasion, I've nearly been blown off the freeway due to gusts in the 40-60 MPH range. When you drive a car that has plastic windows, they tend to act like a sail and can send you into the next lane of traffic.

2. Cool it!
Where I'm from, sun = warm. The sun comes out here everyday, so you actually have to pay attention to the weather report which tends to be quite accurate around here. In January, it gets into the 30's. Not cool. The only thing people ever say to me is "You're going to die in the summer." Nothing about "Just so you know, it can get cold here so you might want a parka."

3. Welcome Wagons.
So far anyone I've met -not associated to the nightlife scene- has been extremely welcoming. Granted, 3 months isn't a very long time and I know people are nice to you when you're new, so we'll see how this turns out later.

4. Vegas has 'traffic.'
Granted, it's not LA, NY or Seattle, but there is a fair amount of traffic congestion on the freeway. Luckily my work route doesn't go through a lot of the traffic, so that's nice for my commute.

5. Creepy Crawlies.
I've learned about all I want to know about cockroaches. They are gross.

6. "Clean Dirt".
My friend has a yard. I was surprised to see how green it was being in the desert and all. Then I found out it was AstroTurf. "Very easy to clean."

7. Officer, I thought it was legal!
Contrary to popular belief, Clark County does not allow prostitution. However, if you are willing to go 60 miles outside of The City of Sin, you will find brothels where you can partake in activities of that sort, but not legally in Las Vegas.

8. Clip This!
I get coupons to some of the casinos here. 2 for 1 specials, show coupons, dinners, 'line passes', and $20 of 'free play'. It's pretty cool since drinks here can run you $15 for a glass of wine (that's not even an exaggeration).

9. The Sun Doesn't Shine All The Time.
Summers of my childhood were exciting. Long nights because the sun didn't go down until 9:30 which meant bedtime was later, riding bikes continued until well into the evening and in my later years, it meant when I got off work I still had several hours of daylight to hang out with friends. Vegas is in a valley, which means the sun doesn't stick around much longer than 7:30 in the summer. That made me a little sad. (apparently this will make me happy in August when it's over 100 degrees.)

10. Natural Beauty.
There are beautiful things in Vegas. Beautiful people, beautiful clothes, beautiful cars, beautiful hotels all in abundance. What you don't realize is the natural surroundings; the rocky hills, the different colored rocks and the colors these areas take as the light shifts throughout the day is something just as breathtaking if you wait long enough for your eyes to focus.