When I was a kid, I would look up at the sky and try to count the stars. I kept searching for an end and a beginning and couldn’t find one. Infinity did not fit in my head. It was the first time I felt wonder and had an inkling that a great mystery existed beyond me. Since then, those feelings of awe and wonder find me when I’m in nature. To experience nature is something spiritual and I make an effort to explore natural wonders as often as I can. The latest mission was to go backcountry camping in White Sands, New Mexico. Only ten permits were issued each day to stay overnight, which made the experience feel more remote. Surrounded by sweeping vistas of white gypsum sand dunes and a giant speckled sky, my husband and I watched the sun set and the moon rise. In the absence of many, we woke to the wind and heard darkling beetles scuttle across the sand. Being still with the wonders of the desert helped me surrender to the great unknown and gave me a serenity I very much needed at that time.
The collection of photography prints from this trip are called: Serenity.
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