Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Tom.

I love this quote above.  Have you ever been around someone and they are so happy and jubilant about life that when you are around them you instantly become happy as well? Happiness is contagious and that's a beautiful thing to catch.

We just returned from a five day stint in Vegas. Having already been to Vegas, there is a limited amount of activities to do. We decided to do a few things away from the strip. We decided to take a tour of Red Rock Canyon- a beautiful canyon about 20 minutes from the Vegas strip. I'll admit, I was not exactly pumped about it. I thought it would be cool to get away from the hub bub of the strip, but I just didn't expect a whole lot from a "touristy hike".

Tom pulled up to pick us up on the Vegas strip in his cute van covered in advertisements for his business- Red Rock Canyon Tours. He hopped out of the van with a huge smile on his face. Tom is a man in his mid to late sixties with a heavy Polish accent and a beautiful smile.  His words were so kind, they almost seemed sarcastic. Tom began to explain what we would be doing and seeing on the tour as we begin our travels to the canyon and you can immediately tell one thing about him: This man is passionate about his job. Tom began naming all kinds of vegetation in Red Rock, he explained neighborhoods and areas around the park, how each rock formation came to be and even slipped in a few jokes here and there. His accent was adorable, but what was even better was his infectious happiness. As we hiked to the top of the rock formations, he would stop every so often and point to something for us to look at. It could be as simple as the reflection the sun was making on the rocks to an animal or form of vegetation. He would stop and encourage us to take in the beautiful views and smells. He packed the sweetest bunch of snacks, drinks and other items to make us all feel comfortable during the day.

This hike rocked. The rock formations were breathtaking and the views after climbing to the top of them were even more breathtaking. But, what was the best part of the day? Tom. His smile, his sweet jokes, his excitement and passion for his tours and his contagious happiness.

This really encourages me to try to be this same way. I want people to leave my presence as happier people because they have been around me. I learned alot about Red Rock Canyon, but I learned a much more valuable happiness lesson from Tom.






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