Back to the Desert!

After what seems like a whirlwind of school-related life from August to now we were finally able to take a bit of a breather. The weather is starting to get better (though you can tell summer really doesn't want to let go to easily) and this, of course, brings that longing to get out of town and see what the yonder world has to offer. So this weekend - a four day weekend in the UAE - we headed out to Sharjah to enjoy some time in the desert. It had been a while and we were ready. 

Together with two other families we made the 1.5 hour drive (or so) to what felt to us like "out of the way" to settle down and find some space in the sand. Our spot was great, with a backdrop of high dunes and an expanse of desert going as far as the eye could see. What is hidden here, though, is the sounds of cars without mufflers zooming in and out of the dunes around us. Deep into the night they roamed from one side to other adding a sense of stress to our evening as we tried to determine if they would see our campsite or run us over. One car got stuck nearby and kept trying to force its way out of the sand, an impossible feat. It was past midnight by then and any chance for a calm, quiet night was gone. In the distance there was a party going on (perhaps a wedding evening?) with music making its way to our site as well. 

But in there somewhere was also a sense of nature. Little sounds here and there. Tracks in the morning. A moment where the kids ran back to the tents having seen a small mammal (perhaps a desert fox?). And then there was the playing, the fire, and dinner and smores. All those things that make heading out to the desert worth while. We suspect that as the specifics of the night make way for the things that stick in our minds, the sounds and missing mufflers will give way to the sunsets and the friends. Just as it should.