The heat was unbearable. The scorching sun never missed an opportunity to sear through our skin with it’s radiant rays, and the stuffy air just seemed to aid with that matter.  It was our last day in Las Vegas, so of course the temperature rose up from an-already-too-hot 40°C to a sweltering 46°C.

My brother swung his arms lifelessly in an awkward angle as we shuffled out the lobby of Bellagio, “I don’t wanna go out, its too—”

“Hot,” Dad finished the sentence, “I know, Peter, but don't be such a party pooper! We’re going on a helicopter today!”

I snorted. “In this heat? Thanks, but I think I’ll pass.”

Mom sighed at us all. “Today is a nice day, guys. Stop arguing.”

Till then, my Vegas experience was far from perfect—A mediocre show with cringeworthy comedy, the blistering heat which deterred me from heading outside and exploring the city, and not to mention the abundance of slot machines in the casino of our hotel.

*  *  *

The automatic doors slid open and a strong gust of chill air eagerly rushed up to me, digging through my clothes and starting a war with the remains of humid air from outside. The hairs of my skin stood rigid— the result of goosebumps.

We were in the building located at the entrance of the airfield. The airline company was called the Maverick Helicopters. Soon our pilot arrived and took us out into the airfield. As we approached the helicopter, our pilot introduced himself, turns out his name was Mark. We all squinted in the prickly sunlight as Mark explained the basic rules inside a helicopter.

After the instructions were clear, Mark opened the door of the helicopter and we hopped in; just when I thought the temperature could not possibly get any hotter, an army combined of musty and closed off air overtook me. It literally felt like being in an oven, in the middle of being cooked alive. Mark noticed my family’s flustered expressions and smiled apologetically, “Yeah, sorry about that. I know it can get a bit hot in here, but air conditioning will be on soon,” he said.

Mark pressed a few buttons, flipped some switches, and the helicopter’s blades started to move in acceleration. I was relieved however, for the air conditioning finally turned on and blasted from the air outlets into my sweating face.

“Whoever invented air conditioning,” I thought to myself, closing my eyes in alleviation, “Bless their soul.”

The blades of the helicopter had insane acceleration speed; the two individual blades soon became a circle of blur.
“Alright guys, now is the time you can put on your headsets!” Mark yelled over the soon-to-be-deafening noise created by the blades of the chopper.

Dad let out a confused expression, signaling Mark that he did not quite hear what he just said.

Mark pointed at the headsets hanging beside Dad’s seat, and made the motion of putting them on, his opened fists residing over his ear.

After a minute or so, Mark pulled his collective lever and the helicopter began to float slightly off the ground. I was quite surprised that the helicopter had to follow a airfield strip to take off; most people have the mindset that helicopters can just ascend up without any forward motion.

I’m not gonna lie; I did held my breath when Mark adjusted his cyclic shift and throttle, making the helicopter suddenly boost up in the air. I wasn't the worst however, Mom let out a tiny squeal beside me.

I glanced to my left, saw masses of luxurious hotels and concert halls standing proudly, “Typical Vegas,” I thought to myself. Giant posters hung from the uniquely designed buildings, advertising the David Copperfield show and Calvin Harris’s concert. At first I thought all this was a ignorant gesture—putting excess amounts of poster paper that people would grow tired of. But on the helicopter, a different feeling surfaced up my brain. “Cool” wasn't the word I would use to describe it. It was beautiful in a way I never would of thought.

I took out my phone and zoomed in through the camera; saw my hotel glistening in the far distance. From the ground, I could barely focus on anything besides the raging heat pricking my tan skin; however, from the sky, more so from another angle, I saw the overview of the city, revealing it’s remarkable building structure and overall beauty.

“Amazing, huh?” Mark grinned as he noticed me marveling at the view.

I nodded and thought to myself, “This helicopter ride might as well make up for the rest of this trip.”

Then it hit me. It hit me like a asteroid falling onto the face of Earth, denting the miles of surface around it with flames. I realized everything in the world is alluring in some way, it all comes down to how you look at it. Las Vegas felt superficial and dull from the ground, but was marvelous from the air. We may see a trashcan as, well, a trashcan. In a homeless cat’s viewpoint however, it is considered a restaurant with free food, or even a gold mine. Holes in the sand may seem pointless for us, but it is a crab’s home. Different perspectives and angles create different visuals and thoughts, ultimately changing the way on how you discern things.