I’m drawn to the quiet and stillness of the desert. It’s like an empty canvas - a barren wasteland, blank and vast, filled with endless possibilities. The solitude I find there inspires me to let go of what is unnecessary and focus on what truly matters, reminding me that sometimes, less really is more.
The word “desert" comes from the Latin word "desertum," which means "an abandoned place.” It doesn’t have to be a place that was once inhabited, but the sentiment is still the same. Likewise, the word we use to describe the desert “desolate”, comes from the Latin word "desolatus," which means "abandoned" or "deserted." No man’s land.
The desert is harsh, scorching hot and dusty, with signs of death everywhere. Yet there is abundant beauty all around, even in the form of a glimmering mirage. Life can be found teeming in the most unsuspecting of places.
It is a holy place of death and rebirth.
At sundown, the sky dons a purple and pink robe and, in the privacy of darkness, disrobes to reveal a gateway to the cosmos. In the morning, the harsh reality of life becomes ever more apparent with each rising degree in temperature. It’s not a vacation destination, but it can be a place for you to vacate your mind and body.
The desert is a place where you go to abandon your former self - those things that no longer serve you. It’s where you go to bury the old version of you and begin anew - a little dry, a little burnt, with parched lips thirsty for more… life.
My heart will always be in the desert, and there is a desert in all of our hearts, yearning to be visited.
Go to your desert, and make sure to bring lots of water and sunglasses.
"Man was not made for the desert, but the desert was made for man. It is a place where we can confront ourselves and find our place in the world." - Edward Abbey
