I know of a place that is so beautiful it can take your breath away. It is a place of contradictions, opposing senses, and ever- changing consequences. As I travel its land, I know that I will be changed in some remarkable way.
Being there, my heart has no hiding place. The majesty of its mountains humbles me; the vibrant life of the forests sings to my senses. The gentle rain of the waterfalls washes me; the soft embrace of the verdant valleys nurtures me. All at once I am alone in the still, chilled desert night and in the heaving masses of the choked city. I can face dangerous creatures and be welcomed to the hearth of a stranger. I can swim with the sharks and stand on a hill at dusk among the swooping nighthawks. I can walk between the pungent fish stalls in a dusty open-air market and breathe the delicate scent of the frangipani carried on the eastern breeze. I can inhale the history of the ancient ones who lived before and fear their secret rituals. I can blaze untraveled paths with trepidation and swim in the warm acceptance of the ocean. In this land, I am master of my own domain and servant to its bidding. It demands that I care for it and protect it, for without it I cannot live. It is my lifeblood, my sustenance, my learning, my adventure, my mother, my earth. She is all we have, and as long as I live here, I will gladly reap the richness of her beauty and be grateful for her abundant gifts and never become complacent. There is no place like Earth. — Archie Tew,
Santa Fe, New Mexico
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