“So what’s it like to see Monument Valley in person?” How do you sum up a spiritual, moving, life-changing experience to a passerby who doesn’t really care to know more than a few words? The first time I was asked this question, I took a second to quickly scan my superlative database for the proper description. Words like “awesome” and “beautiful” lose meaning the more they’re used, so I responded with “Orange and Blue.” How else can I describe the beauty of Monument Valley at sunrise without pictures and a soundtrack. Oh, that’s right. I can’t. But here, well, here I can share pictures to my little heart’s content. Here is My Monument Valley Photo Diary, dear friends.
Maybe you should put on the soundtrack to a John Wayne movie while you peruse. Just to set the tone. And let my pictures do the majority of the talking.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: there’s something deeply spiritual about being in the middle of the desert at sunrise. I recall an environmental history class I took I when I attended BYU-Idaho. Out of the 15 or so students in the class, I was the only one who wasn’t originally from Idaho or Montana. Most of the students still lived at home and had never traveled. Nothing wrong with that, but it didn’t lend a well-rounded view to their lives. They all called me a city-slicker, and I referred to them as farmers…all in good-nature. We were friends.
Being the only true non-local in the class, I found that my views and opinions were always different than that of my fellow classmates. One day, the subject of discussion turned to the desert and a student made a remark on how he didn’t feel a draw to the desert like other ecosystems. Surely, there was more to appreciate and admire in a rainforest or even a savannah. Unable to keep my mouth shut, I stood up and described my experiences driving through the desert. There is something pure and calming in the barren stillness of a desert sunrise. The apparent harsh conditions are actually cogs in a delicate ecosystem where even the plants fight to survive. Maybe we have The Lion King’s introductory song to blame for this romantic notion, and my now drive to create a Monument Valley photo diary.
This Monument Valley photo diary can go on and on, but burning eyes are never comfortable, are they?
Have you ever been to Monument Valley before? What did you think?
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