posted in stories
The first time I saw the Rockies, I had just finished my sophomore year in college. As I flew over them on my way to an internship in California, I could see snow on the tallest peaks, even in the heat of summer. The only mountains I had known before then were the Appalachians, whose smaller, tree-covered tops seemed friendlier somehow.
I spent that summer in the desert, surrounded by mountains on all sides. Everything felt strange, from the lack of power anything in the ‘71 Chevy pickup truck I drove to the lack of grass in my neighbors’ yards. Who knew you could landscape with dirt? I spent my days freezing in a lab, even though it was over 100 degrees outside.
And I learned that while deserts may seem interminable, they do end. And that mountains that look insurmountable are worth the attempt.
- Lawrie