NEGEVerland

With Matt, Spencer, Lincoln, Emily, Dean, Emily, Sygni, Sadie, Amber, Lauren, and Mike.

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Sunday we had the time of our lives in the Negev desert - a place I like to call Negeverland. It's a place where all your wildest desert dreams come true :) 

Mike put together a day trip with twelve of us which included:

Off-roading in the Negev wilderness,

swimming a frigid pool of water and drinking herbal tea,

a nature hike,

a crazy tour guide,

amazing views,

A CAMEL RIDE,

sandboarding, 

and dinner (fire-cooked pita with hummus and cucumbers/tomatoes). 

Does it get better?

When we got to the sand dunes to sand board the sun was beginning to set and the temperature was cooling. There's something about that dusk light that makes you feel like you're having a cinematic experience. Time stops, all your cares dissapear, and you soak in the moment. I was so happy trudging up that sand mountain, board in hand, laughing with friends, and then riding down the mountain with an incredible view of the desert sunset. It was priceless. 

After dinner it was dark so we all climbed up to the top of the dune and laid there in silence. It reminded me of camping trips with my dad when I was in high school. We would go canoeing in the boundary waters between Minnesota and Canada with other young men and their dads. At night we'd go skip rocks and then sit under the stars to enjoy nature's silence. It's hard to find silence like that. I'm glad I got to experience it again that night in the Negev desert.