I had a moment in the Arizona desert on Tuesday. I hiked alone through cacti and sage brush. There wasn’t any shade and the sweat crept in a dark vee down my neckline. Just the sounds of my footsteps and my breathing. Lizards of various shapes and sizes cross my path. I hear a rustle in the brown grass at the side of my trail. And a rattle. It’s a rattlesnake. It rears its head towards me, its tail quivering. I continue on. Up rocks and sand and along rock faces and the brush rubs against my legs and I taste the sweat and sunscreen taste on my lips. When I look too far into the distance, I have to squint from the glare off the sand. 24 Hours ago, I was on a Southwest 737, and in 3 hours, I will be in another Southwest 737. But right now I am in the Arizona desert.

A rock becomes a bench and I eat a granola bar lunch and drink near what’s left of my water. It doesn’t alarm me. In that moment, I didn’t care about much. I saw for miles, the expanse dotted in every direction with familiar brush, giant cacti forking above, mountains in the distance with that purple hue that they keep at all times of the day. I can’t see the parking lot and I don’t see other people and It’s alright. My legs burn and my skin burns even through the sunscreen. I drink and the bottle goes empty. I turn on the trail and head back to the rest of my life.

—

On Monday, I woke up in Austin, Texas and this Tuesday morning I woke up in the Presidential Suite at the Oro Valley Arizona Best Western. When I got to the room on Monday night, the room didn’t feel very presidential. The paint was chipped in spots and the regal granite countertop had a soapy film. The Jacuzzi tub that was so proudly displayed had a few stray hairs stuck to its side. I cleaned out these hairs and tried the tub. You don’t often get the chance to use a Jacuzzi tub fit for the president.

The water was near scalding. I laughed to myself. There was a campiness to the scene. The novelty soon wore off and I realized just how vile the situation was. I let the water drain out and took a shower instead.

The bed sheets had a roughness to them. The A/C blew warm, like it was just circulating air from the Arizona desert night. I didn’t feel like the President.

This entry is a warm up. This entry is me getting back into the groove. It is time to write again.