A Matter of Perspective

I spent last week in Las Vegas, Nevada. I had never been there before, but it wasn’t my first foray into big city life, having gone to Nashville, Tennessee, for the first time in September of 2025.

The two cities were built on very different things—one on music and one on gambling. But really, they were very similar. Both had millions of people living in the city or in connecting suburbs. Both had grown exponentially over the past 20–40 years, and both were built on hope.

Like most of us—and most cities, too—we are creatures of hope. We hope for many things, but in the case of these two cities, the gamble, the hope, they were built on was dreams. Dreams of success, dreams of wealth.

I would dare to say that most of us build our lives on similar hopes and dreams. We want success—in whatever form that means for each of us individually—and we want wealth, or at least enough so we don’t have to worry.

I saw a lot of fabulous things in Vegas: the lights, the skyscrapers, the mountains (which I love!). I took in the entertainers on Fremont Street and posed with a couple of showgirls. I saw the homeless and panhandlers there, too. It was a loud and varied place that smelled of marijuana and hope.

I smelled a lot of marijuana while I was in Vegas!

But I also saw and smelled the hope which permeated the very fibers of the people, the buildings—everything.

You’re probably wondering what I think hope smells like.

I guess it is more of a feeling than a smell, but I am hoping you get what I am saying. It was more than a feeling. It was more tangible than that, and yet elusive at the same time.

I had a great time seeing the sights while there. We were able to enjoy a few hours at the 59th-floor penthouse at the Palms. The view was gorgeous, and I could definitely live in that place! It was bigger than most houses around here! Plus, you had the whole balcony that wrapped almost the entire way around it. It had a full outdoor kitchen as well as an indoor one. There was room for all of us on our team who went to the penthouse.

If you want to see photos and videos, you can go to my Facebook page and check them out.

It was definitely an experience to have. I wish I had taken in a few more of the sights and attractions there, but I enjoyed the things we did, like walking the Strip and seeing all of the fancy buildings and architecture. We don’t see much of that around here. It wouldn’t fit around here, where we are more down-home.

Still, there is something to be said for the occasional visit outside of the protective walls of our hometowns. I enjoy these trips away, but I also like coming back home.

There are times I think I would like to move away to a bigger city where more things are happening, but I am mostly a homebody and like the comfort of home and “family.” You probably know what I mean!

I also spent two very productive days in our company trainings, which was very fulfilling and important to my business and the building of it.

We were going to see The Wizard of Oz at the Sphere, which, as I understand it, is kind of like an IMAX theater. This one had real effects, like the wind of the tornado, falling apples, and so much more.

Even though we didn’t see it, I can still feel the sentiment that “there is no place like home.”

It’s good to be home.