Interesting point of reflection as I compose thoughts for my first extensive journal entry in weeks: Why are travellers more inclined to write of their adventures when isolated, as I seem to be now that we have left the comforts of Granny & Gilles' resort home? Is it a need to stay connected to one's community? Is it a desire to share adventurous exploits? Or perhaps life on the road is more conducive to deeper reflection? Not sure, but here I am with some thoughts from the road.
It has been two weeks in the desert sun. The heat has been increasing steadily, peaking at 31 degrees in the Mohave desert of western California yesterday afternoon. The desert has been good to us: Corinna's bones have felt less pain than they have in over two years; Granny & Gilles' hospitality has allowed for some much-needed rest; and the desert environment has promoted deep, peaceful reflection.
The sparse and at times severe conditions in the desert, however, have been a foreign environment to us. This peaked in Joshua Tree National Park, which is nothing short of otherworldly with it's incredible rock formations, bizarre plant life, and vibrant cloudless blue sky. Take the time to view our photos; there are some striking images.
After sleeping under the stars and parching ourselves on a morning hike in that desolate and awe-inspiring landscape, we were feeling the call of home.
Tonight, we are returned to a land of lush greenery, coastal southern California, and it is a welcome if distant reminder of home. After weeks breathing air that parches the back of your throat and leaves you craving anything liquid, smiles came to our faces when we emerged from an air-conditioned car to inhale lush, aromatic moist air. We have made camp in a forest grove beside a river (with real, naturally-occurring water in it!), and the frogs are croaking delightedly through an otherwise quiet evening.
We are on the road home and the thoughts of grey Vancouver Island dampness no longer make me cringe. I actually look forward to the feeling of the rain forest drizzle on my face, icy as it may be upon our return.
Fact is, the first blooms of spring are coming, days are getting longer, and the new year will emerge from the depths of winter over the next few months into another gorgeous Canadian spring.
As Canadians, we live in an incredibly beautiful place on earth. Our winters are hard but their depth permits a dramatic and longed-for emergence when temperatures start to rise and the land explodes with life again.
For me, that emergence will be on many more levels than just seasonal conditions alone, and I look eagerly forward.
Get me homeward!
8 °C
11 °C
