Life Experience

Are they wall or safeguard, these mountains? Las Vegas Reflections; Photo by author.

Las Vegas Reflections

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Las Vegas Reflections is Emmie Strickland’s second piece for Cult of Americana

I spent 2016 living in a place beyond my wildest of dreams. I moved to Las Vegas hesitantly, sure that I would despise residing in the valley of flooding selfishness and greed. However, I soon encountered the unexpected undertow that Las Vegas has; an intriguing, Alice-down-the-rabbit-hole effect that steered me away from my preconceived ignorance about it. It’s the veiled true beauty of a city who constantly is painting herself with more and more outrageous makeup, and I got to see it. Then, I fell under its mysterious charm.

Most travelers who make their way to this carved out valley of pleasures of the flesh don’t make it past The Strip. Like a field of tranquilizing poppies, the throng of bright colors and lights, and the promises of a good time ensnare the majority Vegas’ guests, ensuring that they don’t see beyond the glittering hotel rooftops. Continue reading →

Clean Socks: Boy Scouts 101

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I was never a very good Boy Scout. I didn’t have the guts or persistence to see my way through to becoming an Eagle Scout.

I think I set the record for ‘longest tenure at Tenderfoot,’ which was as primary and low end a rank as it sounds.

Boy Scouts Cult of Americana

I quit in ninth grade to pursue girls that wanted my shirt to say ‘Hollister’ instead of ‘Boy Scouts of America.’ That didn’t really work out either.

I was, however, in Scouts long enough to participate in more than a few campouts. With my hometown troop, Troop 140, I camped in two inches of water. Camped when the thermometer read five degrees fahrenheit. And for at least two summers in junior high school, I spent a week at Camp Massawepie in the heart of the Adirondack State Park. 

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