What is it about the desert?

There’s something about the desert that calls me back and settles my heart.

A white dusting of snow covers the red desert road. The road extends endlessly and effortlessly into the foggy distance. Where it goes, one can only guess. What is it about the desert that makes me feel like the possibilities are endless?

People of all walks come to these places to pay homage to the beauty. The couple with their Tupperware at the Mexican restaurant so that they don’t use styrofoam. The family that doesn’t ‘do’ hiking but wants to see what it’s all about. The photographers, like us, out before dawn even though it’s a blizzard just in case sunrise decides to greet us.

When driving in a storm storm in the dark, our headlights illuminate the snowflakes ahead. There’s this feeling of flying through the stars at warp speed. A gust of wind is all it takes to change the direction of the white streaks.

Lower to the ground, the snow swirls around in wispy pockets of air. They look so delicate and disappear as quickly as they came.

I see endless roads of nothingness. In the distance I spot a red sandstone tower or fin rising majestically out of the empty horizon. My destination seems far off and yet the present is pleasant. I’m in no rush to go anywhere and yet appreciate the forward progress.

Two parallel lines converge on a point I cannot see. Between me and that distant place lies many thoughts. When I learned to draw it was one of my favorite things to practice. Perspective. Little did I know the double meaning that would have for me in my life. 

Exploring is like meditation. It’s a way to stay present. It’s a way to observe and digest my thoughts.

But still, what is it about the desert?

“What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well.” -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

There’s something about the desert. Even in winter where it doesn’t feel hot or dry, the desert has something to say. It exposes and reveals hidden secrets. It makes you look inside yourself.

It’s not just me. That much I know. One of my yoga students spent some time in Zion over the holidays. It had a similar impact on her and she’s already planning her return. Standing atop a socked in overlook watching the fog clear to reveal her location was not a moment she will soon forget.

Hope you enjoyed my musings from Arches National Park in Winter.

We are Marc and Brenda Bergreen, a husband and wife photography team specializing in capturing people in nature and the mountain lifestyle. It’s a passion that became a dream that became a life. Check out our work: adventure photography and adventure wedding photography.

Our philosophy, love. adventurously. is the guidepost for everything we do.

Based in Evergreen, CO we travel throughout the state as Colorado adventure wedding photographers and videographers. We also frequently travel to California and other wedding destinations to document love and adventure in a variety of memorable settings.

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