Misconceptions About Living In Las Vegas

Since I've come to New York for college and had to explain to everybody I've ever met here that I'm from Las Vegas, I've realized that most people have really strange ideas about what Vegas is like. Maybe it's because the east coast is the opposite side of the country, I'm not really sure, but these are the most common assumptions I hear.

1. I must gamble a lot

No. I don't. First of all, you have to be 21 to gamble in Nevada and even if I could gamble, I wouldn't. A lot of my family has worked as poker dealers in casinos so I do enjoy poker but never for real money.

2. I'm probably a show girl or a stripper

I know a couple girls who have been rumored to be strippers and I knew a couple girls who were actually showgirls but it's rare. Mostly everyone I knew in high school was a lifeguard or worked retail.

3. The strip is basically the whole city

It's not. Las Vegas is actually pretty big and the strip is just one section of Las Vegas Boulevard. There's North Las Vegas, Las Vegas, and Henderson mainly, and most people I knew actually lived in Henderson.

4. I spend all my time on the strip

I almost never go to the strip. I've visited most of the hotels and once in a while would go to concerts on the strip and I worked at the Luxor for a summer which is the big pyramid hotel with the light on top. But other than that, it's pretty rare. In high school, people went to the strip for homecoming and prom and rented hotel rooms for birthdays and stuff like that, but I never have.

5. I probably live in a hotel

I actually live in a house. Weird.

6. It must be sooooo cool

It's normal for me. I can't imagine it's really that different from living anywhere else. I lived in a normal neighborhood and went to a normal school and did normal things like anyone I know from anywhere else.

7. I must party and go to clubs ALL THE TIME

Not at all. I can't think of anyone I know who actually goes to clubs in Vegas that lives there. I barely know anyone who goes to bars. There were hardly even parties when I was in high school especially compared to the amount of parties in college.