Land of Giants

Arizona surprised me at every turn. In Flagstaff, the air smelled of ponderosa pine and the sunsets set the forest on fire. In Sedona, the red rocks glowed at golden hour, and every trail seemed to end at a view too big for one frame. Phoenix and Tucson brought palm-lined ponds, desert gardens, and long drives under endless blue skies. Every corner of this state felt like a new world to explore.

Then there was the Sonoran Desert. Standing among the saguaros for the first time, some of them taller than a house and older than anyone I know, was life changing. They stand with their arms raised to the sky as if the whole desert is cheering, and I felt small and lucky and wide awake all at once.