BIG is an Understatement: The Hoover Dam
I planned Saturday as a slow one, and I’m so glad that I did. After all the excitement of the Helicopter flight on Friday and a bad jet lagged sleep, I was glad to take the bus out too the Outlet Mall and see if there was anything there that suited me for Alt Summit.
It was nice and calm and I enjoyed just being able to do my own thing at a very slow pace. It helped me get over the jet lag and ready for my early Sunday morning wake up for the bus trip out to the Hoover Dam!
You may not know this, but I have wanted to see the Hoover Dam for YEARS! Ever since I sat and watched a TV show on engineering marvels with my Dad. I had wanted to see it last time I was in Vegas, but it just didn’t work out. This time it was a must!
Seeing it from the air on Friday meant that I got to see it all, but seeing it up close was just fantastic! As part of the tour I booked we went into the power plant on the Nevada side and learnt how it was constructed and also got to see how it works. It was really interesting. But I have to say – my favourite part was being able to walk across it and see both lake mead and the Dam wall.
They aren’t fussy about you taking photos, in fact they encouraged it, which makes it so much better! I loved the Art Deco architecture and the fact that they haven’t tried to update it, but have just maintained it. There seemed to be a lot of love for the structure, not just because it is actually a power generator, but like they cared for it because it was so important to the landscape and to the history of the place. I think it’s nice to see that it’s heritage has been protected and that it’s treated so well.
One other cool thing that I didn’t remember from the show that I saw, is that you cross from Nevada into Arizona when you walk the bridge and they are in two different time zones. I’ve never walked across a state border before so I thought it was kind of cool!
Here are some more of the photos that I took. I took hundreds, but here are just a few of my favourites.
It was a gorgeous 18°C with very little wind. I’m so glad that I finally got a chance to see it. Lake mead is just beautiful close up as is the Dam itself.
There’s a few more photos on my Flickr too.
A Word. A Goal. A Plan.
It’s that time of year again, where everyone shares their dreams for the year. I find it really overwhelming, especially after 2012 was such a disaster (having spent the first half completely lost and the second half solely focussed on making 2013 ace).
I want to say that I’m not making big-lofty goals this year, but I guess the move kind of is one. But it’s not a pie-in-the-sky resolution, but something I’ve been working towards for 7 months. I’m instead trying to focus on my word for the year and make one or two little goals that are achievable and will bring happiness not anxiety.
A word: Adventure
A goal: To laugh more
A plan: To trust my gut and to take the opportunities that are right for me
I’ve planned my trip across the USA so I know where I’ll be on what day up until late Feb, but after that I know it will be about finding somewhere to live and making new friends and settling into a new home. I don’t need to overthink those right now. There’ll be a time for that, but for now I want to enjoy what’s coming and to let things roll.
Two weeks to go until the 27 adventure starts!
the ducks have gone awol
Sometimes I talk about getting my ducks in a row for this next adventure, but lately the ducks are on the loose and have no desire to be put in a neat line. 
I’ve not been well. I had a severe allergic reaction last month and it took me much longer to deal with it emotionally than it did physically. I also had some other very sad news that I’ve been asked not to share on the internet (fair enough) that has been playing on my mind. I’m waiting on documents before moving to the next stage of the visa application process (the actual applying part) and they have taken more than a month to arrive so far.
There’s been a lot of waiting, and swinging from ‘this is going to be amazing’ to ‘what the hell are you thinking moving 16,000km away’. It’s all part of my process. I’m not giving it up, and in fact it feels more like it’s just a natural progression for me than anything else.
I should be leaving the same week I left to live in Glasgow, 5 years before. It feels like the right time to go.
I am slowly working to get these ducks back in line and I have 4 weeks to go at the day job.
I’ve got big ideas and I’m excited to see how it turns out.
Hopefully more to come soon!
I hope you’re having an ace week.
x
