Yesterday I visited one of my most favorite places: Carlsbad Caverns. It is cool (literally and figuratively), dark, and one of the best hikes/walks ever. It begins at the natural entrance, and winds down, down, and down to the deep below. There is a substantial path through the chambers underground, and an elevator that one can take back up to the surface; however, for the first time in all of my visits there, we reversed after looping through the below and walked back out through the natural entrance. I had always wanted to go out through the natural entrance. Dreams do come through sometimes.
I am not sure why I find the Caverns so heartening. Perhaps it is the quiet; or the smell, of rocks and moisture and bat guano remnants. Perhaps it is the ever-so-soothing darkness or the fascinating rock formations. Perhaps it is the enjoyable walk out of the desert sun. Or perhaps it is all of this. Such a wondrous, restoring place.
Happiness can be hard to find. It is not, as we are told by television and movies and social media, a frequent state of being. Rather, it is made of moments that -- despite tribulations that impose on the edges of our consciousness -- are made of simple pleasures: walking in a place that is soothing to the soul, with company with whom one feels understood. How can we ask for anything more?
We do not always need to turn on a light. Happiness can also be found in the dark.
View of the natural entrance of Carlsbad Caverns, from below.
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