Joshua Tree National Park

Like the start of most great adventures, the idea of traveling to Joshua Tree National Park stemmed from a need more than a want. It was just before autumn when I remember feeling the suffocation of daily life, including spending eight hours in the city for work, at minimum. The fresh air was calling.

My husband was feeling it too. He’s the type of person that keeps complaints to the bare minimum, but I could tell that the need for adventure was mutual. We decided that the holidays would be spent in a campervan rather than fighting traffic to see family.

Wonder permeated our minds as soon as we crossed the gate into Joshua Tree National Park. Massive rock outcroppings set the stage for alien-like Joshua trees and cholla cacti. Every hour that passed through the park presented a new, vivid palette of colors unlike any we had ever seen.

Even hiking in the park was something new since this was the first time either of us had visited the desert. The dry air scraped at our lungs, but it didn’t matter; we delighted in the sights and sounds of the unknown.

At night, the stars shone with a glimmer that lit our entire campsite. We could hear the soft chatter of our neighbors, but it was comforting to know that we weren’t the only ones spending Christmas in a strange place. Soon enough, the chill of the night beckoned us back into our haven, where we would dream of the enchanting land that surrounded us.