🌻 Two Cities, Two Realities: Vegas vs. Seattle 🌻

Simply Flava

Being away from Seattle for six years changed how I see this city — and how it sees me. When I left, Seattle already had a rhythm of its own, but somewhere in those years, it transformed. The energy here now feels more open, raw, and bold.

Vegas, though… Vegas is full of illusion. It’s a place built on performance — bright lights, fake smiles, and unspoken competition. I saw more backstabbing and untruths than I ever wanted to. People wore masks that matched their outfits, and honesty was often the first thing left behind in the desert.

Seattle is the opposite. People show up as they are — sometimes beautifully, sometimes messy, but unapologetically real. The Transgender, Non-Binary, and Neurodivergent communities here don’t hide who they are. They own it. It’s taken me a minute to catch up to this version of the city I came home to.

What’s funny is, when I thought about coming back, I was drawn to the climate — the rain, the trees, the gray skies that somehow make everything bloom brighter. I missed the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. But what I didn’t realize was how much Seattle itself had grown.

Now, I’m rediscovering it — and in that process, I’m rediscovering me. The city may have changed, but it still holds my roots.

“Sometimes you leave a city thinking you’ve changed — only to come back and realize, it’s the city that grew into your truth.”

~Lady Flava ~