((Brian's Note: Dayna Roselli and I worked together at KLAS in Las Vegas.Her primary job is that of Traffic Anchor, helping commuters to avoid traffic jams and accidents so they can zip across the Las Vegas Valley. She is also an extremely talented news anchor and reporter.))

Hello South Dakota from the steaming hot valley of Las Vegas! 

Isn’t it something how depending on where we live our lifestyles are so different.  Isn’t it something that our overnight low in Las Vegas is your daytime high temperature!? 

I moved to Las Vegas more than four years ago from Upstate New York (Rochester to be exact.)  What a change!  Most of my life was spent with two sets of clothes, if not three.  Summer, Spring/Fall, and Winter.  Yes, there was that time of year when the summer clothes got packed away and the winter clothes made their return.  It was a half day project on my end! 

I lived in New York for about 28 years.  I never really enjoyed the winters, but I thought that’s all there was… I didn’t know better.  I scraped my windshield, snow brushed my car, warmed it up, changed my shoes a couple times a day, layered my clothes, had two pairs of gloves in my trunk, etc. etc.  It was quite a chore. 

Now, life is simpler.

I know, I know, you are saying:  “don’t make us feel bad, we deal with those issues every winter!”

I am not.  I just want you know there is a plus and negative to everything.  Yes, everything.

I traded a quiet life full of winter storms… for an energetic life filled with traffic.

In fact, that’s my job.  I am the morning Traffic Anchor at KLAS-TV in Las Vegas.  I love my job.  Why? Because traffic is probably the number one concern among residents here.  It affects them every day, and I get to be the one they turn to every morning to see if their day is going to start off on the right foot! 

I started a segment called, “What’s Driving You Crazy.”  It gives viewers a chance to vent and ask questions about traffic, roads, construction, and driver behavior. 

I thought: okay, it will be a nice little segment to keep me busy and interact with our viewers. 

Little did I know the response I would get.  It’s been about 2 years now since I started it, and the e-mails and letters pour in on a daily basis.  People are angry, upset, and frustrated… and in some ways… I am all they have to turn to… I give them an outlet to vent!  I answer their questions, and many times, I solve problems.  It’s a great job.  I love getting letters and phone calls from people telling me how I have helped solve an issue that they have stressed about for years. 

Last week I visited my hometown of Rochester.  I felt a little weird there. I felt like a visitor for the first time in my life.  The pace is slower, the roads are empty, the mall was quiet. 

The people though, remained the same, and those people complained about the weather. 

“Oh, it’s been an awful summer, tons of rain, and it’s been cold.” 

“I am not looking forward to winter, I can’t believe it’s almost here already.”

I say, “so do something about it.” 

Find out where you want to be, and what fits your lifestyle and make it happen.  You are never STUCK somewhere.  There is no such thing.  Then they say, “but I like it here.“

Here in Las Vegas, people complain about the traffic. 

I say, “so leave for work earlier,” or, “move somewhere that has less traffic.”

Then, they say, “but I love it here.”

Exactly. 

Love where you live and make the best of it, or move on.

Deal with the Rochester winters by preparing yourself and taking in the beauty of the snow and ice.  Make sure you have all the essentials.  

Deal with Las Vegas traffic by understanding that it is a growing city that will always have construction and congestion.  The situation may improve as time goes by, but there will always be traffic.  Prepare yourself, so you can enjoy your life and not worry.  Or, turn me for help (that’s my job security talking, ha ha.)

You have to take the good with the bad and the bad with the good. 

We all have issues in our communities and we all must deal with some negatives.  That is life. 

If there was a perfect place, we would all live there. 

And then, we would all deal with “overcrowding.”

((Brian's Note: Dayna is a good person. Always quick with a joke and never hesitating to ask if something is wrong. I always enjoyed working with her. She knows her stuff. Feel free to leave a comment below or send me an e-mail by clicking here.))