I recently spent a few days in Joshua Tree upon my return to the USA. Coming from Japan, it was surreal to be walking through the Mojave Desert. I was suddenly in the old west full of cacti and cowboys. The land is bright and the views vast. Shadows stretch long in the heat of the day and it’s a wonder that life survives in such a climate. Joshua trees are abundant here and a rock landscape formed more than 100 million years ago provides the backdrop. Big boulders piled high make meditative paths for those wanting to find a way to the top.

We sat on top of our own conquered pile of rocks, pondering life and the tiny space in time we’ve occupied. It’s a big, ancient universe we live in and I was glad to be back on my own continent. It was only a matter of a few weeks before I would fly home. I spent my days with new friends and old, listened to live music under an amazing moon and curled up around a fire before bed. As we slept, the world kept spinning and time edged its way forward. One day I woke to the desert being a memory and I was drifting closer to the sweet finale of my trip.