Tenth Muse

Viva Las Vegas. No, Really.

Friday, September 17th, 2010

As some of you may have guessed from my manic tweets, there’s a lot going on right now. I have a super duper full schedule due to some projects running longer than anticipated (you can’t rush awesome) and spontaneous opportunities that I’ve not been able to refuse.

One major opportunity I can’t talk about yet, which is killing a big mouth like me, but I promised and I’m only as good as my word. I also signed legal stuff, so there is that.

Another big thing is… well, I’m moving.  Yes, again. But this time, I”m not just going across town, I’m moving to Las Vegas!

I’ll give you a second to insert any in a series of anticipated and oft-heard protests:

• But San Diego is so beautiful!
• But what about your friends?!
• But Vegas is so… Vegas.
• Once you leave California, it’s really hard to get back.
• It’s so HOT there!
• Are you insane?!

Done?

I know all these things, but for me, it’s important to make decisions that are good for me and for now, this is a smart move that will allow me to take on less work so I can pursue other interests.  Some of you may know that mikey got a job up there recently and moved there in June. I decided to follow when my lease was up, which is at the end of November.  Here’s the part where some might ask “but… why?”  I can’t say there aren’t going to be some adjustments to living in the desert and away from my San Diego life, but here are just some reasons that are both positive in general and good for me, personally.

• I have a great support system there already. mikey, obviously, who I miss when he’s not around. So does Lulu. Also one of my very best friends, Heika (some might remember her as Macgeezel) — she’s from Vegas and her family, whom I am close with, still live there. Unfortunately, she doesn’t, but I may get to see her more often. There are also some of her Vegas friends that I’ve gotten to know over the years and mike’s got some friends there, as well.
• It’s CHEAP, people. I live in a beautiful, gorgeous city. I grew up here, San Diego is my home. But it’s crazy-ass, mind-blowing expensive here. And as a freelancer, that is tough. Vegas, on the other hand, can provide, for about 30% less than my rent currently, a place 3x the size, newer, in a beautiful new area. And actual house, even.
• To that end, a very large apartment or a house allows me to have an actual office, with a door. It allows me to separate work and life a little better.  Plus, paint!
• No state income tax.
• There’s a Kids Expo in Vegas every year, which means I’ll likely be able to talk Kathy into crashing in our guest room.
• There’s always something to do. Any time you want to do it.
• I’m California-adjacent. It’s only a 5 hour drive back to San Diego or an hour flight. I can come back any time I want and considering I won’t have to work as a hard, I’ll actually have time to do that. Plus, despite living in one of the most beautiful cities, I never really see it that much, as I spend most of my time in my apartment. So, this will allow me to actually enjoy San Diego… as a sort of tourist.
• I’ll probably get to see my friends from other cities more often, as just about everyone wants to go to Vegas, right? People go to Vegas, so it’s likely I may see my friends from all over (even those as close as L.A.) more than I do now.

I already went through all the hemming and hawing and “omg, the heat!” and “I’ll miss my gays” and “what the hell am I going to do in the desert?” hand-wringing.  And I will miss my friends here so much it hurts my insides.  Badly. But I have to move past that part (or rather, stuff it down and cover it with Ben and Jerry’s) so I can be excited about this new adventure.  (I’m already trying to convince Daniel and Richard to move there, too.)  I’m only 36 years old, it’s not like I have to live in Vegas forever. And I’ve left California once already… I lived in Texas for over 3 years and came back to San Diego. Nothing is set in stone, but if I ever want to buy a home anywhere, especially if I want to do it in this very expensive city, I need to start making some changes.

I’m starting to get pretty excited about the change — I’ve always been open to change. But, I’m a little overwhelmed right now — so much is going on and it’s coming really fast.  I’m up to my neck in projects, but I have to dash up to Vegas in early October for an overnighter to pick a place to live. Then within 6 weeks or so, I need to pack this entire apartment, and move to a new state… with a bunny. (That should be interesting.) And all the while maintain my workload.  This is where I take a shot of something strong, followed by a pep talk while sticking my head between my knees.

I’m thinking about investing in a camera after we get settled up there. I think a good way to introduce myself to the city is to photograph it.  Plus, I really, really want to see if I can get into The Neon Museum. Given how much I love mid-century Americana and all that swanky stuff, I think Vegas might be a fun place for me to explore with a camera. Hey, maybe I’ll even find a dumpy dive I can sing in!

I only ask that no one tell me anything bad about living in Vegas. I really don’t want to know. I probably know most of them anyway from my many trips there.  But feel free to share good things!  I’m always open for that.