A thing that I will never get used to is the way in which this place can maintain snow covered mountain peaks well into June, all the while searing everyone in sight with temperatures well into the 90s and beyond. But stranger than this, is how easy it is not to notice the beauty of this place. It is very possible and likely for a man to become overly occupied with his immediate tasks and purpose, to have one’s head oriented down, to stare only at a specific pile of tasks….a specific pile of sand. Never pausing to consider how all of these things connect and how they matter to each other.
Today is my 35th day on station. The shock of being back here has passed and I have settled into a routine of sorts. Time seems to have slowed to a crawl. As ever, I wish and pray for time to speed along it’s path so that I can make my way home.