Hard as it may be to believe, I'm not just being cheeky when I refer to my home here in the city of Sin as paradise because most of what is considered the "heart" of Las Vegas is actually located squarely in the unincorporated township of "Paradise", Nevada. Whether the area actually lives up to its name, though, is entirely another matter of discussion... for many visitors to the city, Paradise is absolute that- with the neon-bedazzled spectacles of the air-conditioned Casinos at the forefront of all-things-Vegas, it's easy to get lost in the endless entertainment and enjoyment. If booze, gambling and boobs are part and parcel of your definition of paradise, you could certainly do a lot worse than Paradise. If, however, you find that you're among those poor unfortunate souls who lack sufficient self-discipline to safely indulge in the entertainment and actually, you know, STOP yourself, Paradise will rapidly become Paradise Lost as you find yourself swirling ever deeper into the rabbit hole of loss. There's a reason every casino is mandated to freely offer pamphlets advising you to "Know the Signs" of gambling addiction. This city will more than happily eat you alive and won't even spit out the bones, stripped of flesh to bleach in the unrelenting sun, if it doesn't absolutely have to.
But where else can you find someone crooning their heart out on the street, sparkling dress blazing in the brilliant light as an oddly lumpy Pikachu observes the scene? Few other places can offer quite so many Showgirls, misshapen childhood icons, and regret as the area of Paradise, Nevada. It can also land you fame, fortune and fabulous adventures undreamt of anywhere else... it all depends on if you play your cards right, or at all. It's fair to say that many things in life are based on a gamble- the genetic lottery, whether we inherit our father's nose or mother's penchant for spicy food, but if you MUST gamble knowingly, you've got to know when to fold, too. Never count your money while you're sitting at the table and all that.
For me, this version of Paradise is far from what my personal iteration would be. This, for better or for worse, is the Paradise of tourists, of visitors, of dreamers and the deluded. It's also home, somehow, though. Some way.
Photos in this post were kindly taken by Antho Jay!
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XOXO,
NAU
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