Last week I drove with a friend over 3,000 miles on a (round) trip down to Taos, New Mexico, to participate in a writing workshop given by Natalie Goldberg, whose books WRITING DOWN THE BONES and WILD MIND continue to inspire new and experienced writers alike. As with any organized event, one can easily find fault, which I did, but after another day passed, I could feel what I'd learned begin to register in my body and mind, and I'm grateful for having gone, in spite of my disappointments.All along the way, driving through such dramatically different country, I felt tugged and pulled to stop (which I had no time to do), to touch the ground, to linger and appreciate the beauty of the place. What torture it is to speed through nature. We did pause in our trip for a couple of hours at the Arches National Park, though, where monolithic sculptures stand as fabulous testaments to the passage of time and the wearing of wind and sand.
Another briefer stop was at the Earthships community, where we toured through one of the off-the-grid houses. Though I wouldn't want to live there---not enough trees, and the water supply is too limited---I would love to one day build one of these houses. The sloping, rounded edges of their colored-glass-studded interiors appeal to me, as do, of course, their energy efficiency, sustainability, and independence. What fun to use cast-off material to create such a lovely home, partially submerged and nestled into Earth as insulation and comfort.
