Downtown Adventures, Pt. 1

 I've always had the wanderlust bug, for as long as I could remember. I just love venturing out and discovering new places, old and new, well known or little holes in the wall. Realistically, I know that I can't travel out of town every weekend. My bank account doesn't exactly match up to my travel plans, but that's an okay thing. Because I know that I have not seen all that Vegas has to offer, just yet. There are plenty of cute little thrift stores and coffee shops left for me to fall in love with, because I fall in love with places fairly easily. 

So that's exactly what I did. I went downtown with my friend, Courtney, and we made it our mission to discover places we hadn't been yet. I finally tried this coffee shop that I'd heard so much about, The Beat on the corner of Fremont and 6th. Their coffee was delicious and the good vibes in that place are purely contagious. We walked around a little longer, wandering into pricey boutiques and other places that caught our eye. 

Next, we wandered through The Arts District, which I wish I'd have gone too sooner. We started out at The Funk House, on the corner of S. Casino Center Boulevard and W. Colorado Avenue, which is an awesome thrift store ran by the coolest lady, Cindy. It's filled with so many incredible things, from wooden chairs that looked like they were from the 1900's, to this beautiful typewriter that I completely fell in love with. So I'm now on the search for one. Next, we wandered around a few art galleries and then ended up at Retro Vegas, located on the corner of S. Main Street and E. California Avenue. My first thought when I walked in was how psychedelic this place was. (I was born in the wrong era, I know). I wanted to buy everything just to make my apartment look this cool. I could have spent hours there. 

I left The Arts District already planning when I was going to go back and keep exploring, because I know there is still more for me to discover, and love in this city.

Your Happy Place

 

Photo credit to my sister, Paige.

Everyone has their own happy place. For some, it's confined inside of four walls that are lined with posters of your favorite bands, or hand drawn pictures, or that weird picture that your mom hung up but you can't find reason enough to take down. It may be inside your favorite coffee shop. That one with the too comfortable leather chairs, and the barista who recognizes your face every time and knows your order by heart.

I have a happy place of my own. Mine just happens to be surrounded by towering trees, over sized mountains, and a sky that looks like a never ending blanket. That is where I feel most at home; outdoors, no matter what the reason. I just like to be reminded that I am a part of something on a much larger scale. 

I went to Zion National Park the first weekend of the new year, and soon after I came to the conclusion that it was the best decision I'd made to start off 2015. I went with a group of people that made the trip that much more enjoyable for me. Plus, there was snow. And if you know me, you know that I absolutely adore the snow. I love how it makes everything look that much more beautiful and peaceful. It brings a stillness to life, and sometimes a stillness is needed for you to slow down and appreciate all that is around you. So being surrounded by it all, does nothing but put a smile on my face. 

I hope you have your own happy place and I hope that it does all of that for you, if not more.