A Midnight Walk into the Desert
After the day’s previous events, (riding camels in the desert and my clumsy self falling off a donkey…) we were utterly exhausted. However, our tour guide insisted that a midnight walk into the darkness of the desert was necessary.
We gathered up our flashlights, and after some hesitations, realized we only had about 4 or 5 to share between the 20 something of us. I trusted my peers more than ever before, guiding me in the right direction on the rocky floor beneath us. We followed no path, or no path that I was aware of. We walked right into the middle of the desert, some holding hands with fear of falling over hidden rocks on the unsteady ground. After some fear and trepidation, we had arrived at our final destination. An unknown isolate spot in the middle of the desert, which I was praying we would eventually be able to retrace our steps to get out of.
Our newly formed family looked up at the sky together in awe.
We were then instructed to separate and find our own little area of rocky sand and sit down. All alone. In the darkness. Even Noah and I separated.
And then I looked around.
It was pitch black. Even darker now that I was by myself. A darkness I had never seen before.
Sitting there in the chilly sand in the midst of those around me while staring up into the midnight blue sky. All I saw was stars. Millions upon millions of bright, twinkling stars. It was something I’ve never experienced before. Something I still remember like it was yesterday. Growing up in a town that is saturated in lights, in the city that legitimately never sleeps, this is definitely not an everyday occurrence.
And then I saw it. Not too far off in the distance. A shooting star. We definitely don’t see those in the city of New York.
And then he told us to close our eyes; shielding any dim lights we may be noticing in the far distance from our campsite.
My remaining senses exploded. Unable to see, I was able to hear sounds I swear I’ve never heard before. Whether it was the slight swaying of the bushes in the desert, the sand drifting in the wind, or the occasional howl (I eventually learned they were dogs, not wolves). I could feel every grain of sand beneath my butt and feel the sweet cool air run throughout my body.
Something happened to me in the middle of the night in the middle of that desert, something that I cannot begin to explain. I was a changed girl viewing the world differently from then on out.
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Eitan took us on this walk as well…hands down the most memorable and spiritual moment of the trip!
It sure was memorable to say the least. An experience I will never ever forget.
Did you take that photo?? Simply incredible! Saw a shooting star on the first real date with my boyfriend, that was pretty amazing! Stars are the best
Unfortunately not, but a member of our group had an awesome SLR so he got some pretty awesome shots. And that's so sweet you saw a shooting star on your first date! How special and romantic. I don't have many opportunities to see them living in NYC.
Thanks for sharing your desert walk experience! It sounds like you had a fantastic moment to just sit and take it all in. We previously had a moment similar to this on a recent trip where we visited the town of White Cliffs in Australia. It is only a small town and the locals live under the ground in dugouts to avoid the summer heat. We stayed in the Underground Motel which had steps to the top of the hill where you could see the glorious night sky and the most stars I have ever seen. I remember feeling dwarfed by the universe around me.
thanks so much for sharing YOUR experience! and wow- they live underground- how cool! don't you feel so tiny looking up at the stars above? It was most definitely an experience I will remember for the rest of my life, and I feel so lucky to have been able to experience such a thing.
The best thing about the desert is the night sky. I loooove seeing the sky lit up with millions of pin point lights. It makes my problems seem so insignificant 🙂
I totally agree! I felt so incredibly small standing there in the middle of the desert, looking up into the universe.
What an amazing experience 🙂 I loved seeing stars and the milky way in the middle of nowhere in Arizona. I also loved the Children's Museum in Holon (near Tel-Aviv, Israel), which is not for children alone – it has a tour of walking in the dark, guided by a blind guide, and you do get to experience the world through other senses. Incredible 🙂
Beautiful post, Jessica! 🙂
thanks! i had fun reliving the memories and putting them onto paper (well, computer, haha)
oh wow, that sounds incredible! thanks for sharing! I'll have to make my way to Arizona sometime soon! 🙂