Stark like the Desert

Here's something you usually don't hear people say: "I love the desert".

Well, I'm one of those unusual people who actually enjoy the sight of the stark coarse land. Devoid of life, devoid of anything with the exception of dry heat in daylight and extreme cold at nighttime...and the occasion presence of poisonous sand-dwellers.

Do bear in mind that I do enjoy sunbathing on the beach and traversing the dense humid jungle. I am, nonetheless, from a tropical country. These places are my domain but the desert is a location I have never actually visited. I have even explored various caves and industrial wastelands around Malaysia but never a desert.

Now, you might wonder, since I never actually visited one, how could I like such a place? As I have mentioned, desert lacks any life except for a few poisonous critter that could kill you in one sting. There's no water in the vicinity unless you are caught in a mirage. It's just plain sandy without the cooling breeze of a beach.

True of the matter is, I love the starkness of it. The warm wind that blows against me as I imagined myself standing deep in the sand with nothing to behold other than miles and miles of sand. The heat maybe unbearable if I stand there too long without a sunhat but just imagine the comfort of seeing nothing. The peace and serene that the desert has to offer and you slowly find yourself blend into the sand underneath you. The clouds above you are clear as ever and everything becomes clear. At night, there are no lights in any directions except for the stars above blinking ceaselessly and you can just lie there, taking in every breathtaking moment of it. (of course, make sure no critters come and disturb you or possibly kill you as you do this).

While I'm saying all this out of a reverie, I find myself stuck in this reverie these days when I'm facing the stress of life. The fact that I can find comfort in such setting is saying something. Perhaps, it's the fact that there is nothing in the desert. The nothingness that I yearn for in life. No stress, no frustration and maybe even no happiness but just satisfaction being there.

Who knows? When I actually visit one, I might not like it. As of now, my reverie consists of me enjoying the view of dunes as warm yet cooling breeze blowing against my face.