November 3, 2009

Stark Silence

The first night I slept at our new house, I almost could not sleep for the lack of noise.

We have, since moving to Las Vegas, lived on main streets, such as Tropicana Avenue and Flamingo Road. If you've ever been to Vegas, you might recognize that those street names from The Strip, and although in both places where I had lived, I was 10-15 minutes from The Strip, at the points where I lived on those roads, they are still 4-6 lane streets. Both near freeways.

My new house is on the edge of Las Vegas, bordering desert. (My sweetie should not have been to surprised to find a scorpion in the garage last night.) It's actually only 5-7 minutes from where I lived before, but it's not on a main road. Although this area is packed with subdivisions, with houses so close I think I can reach out the window and touch my neighbor's house, it's still quiet.

What's lacking? Sirens. Freeway noise. Road noise. The creaking of the 40-year old house we'd lived in the last few years. It's the kind of quiet I have not known since living here in the city.

We haven't had television since we moved in either, so the lack of noise in the neighborhood and in the house is seriously weird. It even seems a little uncomfortable. Since when is peace and quiet uncomfortable? Sheesh! Can't wait until I acclimate!

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