Life is busy and it seems to get busier each year as the boys get older. We get so busy (with scouts and taekwondo and soccer and school and band) that it feels impossible to drop everything and go.
But this year we decided to do it anyway. We decided that if we wait until the time is right, we might not get a chance to show the boys what matters most – finding the places and the things that make our souls sing. So we packed the car, loaded all 4 of us plus the golden retriever and drove 17 hours to Tucson, Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. My favorite place on earth!
The Sonoran Desert, also known as the Green Desert, is teeming with life if you look close enough. From tiny crawling insects to high soaring hawks to howling coyotes to hiking people. Life of all sorts is always interconnected but in the stillness of the desert you can almost see the strands that hold us together. And after a rain you can watch the desert come alive – the burst of blooms and green, the smell of creosote and the clear skies for hundreds of miles are amazing.
We went hiking.
We crossed snow melt run-offs.
And found parts of the desert blooming from Spring rains.
We visited a National Park to learn about the desert and those who have lived here for generations. We found petroglyphs and lizards and hummingbirds.
We participated in a nightly astronomy program on Kitt Peak for the older boy.
We drove up Mount Lemmon and found some fudge for the younger boy.
We asked random strangers on the side of the road to take our picture.
And felt the sun and listened to the desert and fed my soul. I’m so glad we went.
