Getting Lost in the Sahara Desert

by Dee Andrews
(Boulder, Colorado)

One of my family's most memorable experiences was on a journey through Southern Morocco. My husband and I and our two daughters, ages 6 and 10 at the time, were on a camel trek in the Sahara Desert. We had left near sunset, after the heat of the day, and had a wonderful trek as the sun cast shadows and a red glow over the sand dunes. After our hour ride turned into an uncomfortable two, and the blackness of night made it difficult to see the dunes, let alone determine which one to lead us over, it did cross my mind that our Bedouin guide was lost.

Hum. Lost in the Sahara. I didn't expect that one!

To lighten the moment, I jokingly asked if he had a cell phone I could use. Um, hello? Yes, we're lost in the Sahara Desert. Can you send someone to find us? We're between the sand dune and the other sand dune!?

Humor helped, and soon enough my daughters spotted a light in the distance that was our campsite. My anxiety truly was fleeting. In the end, I felt more appreciative that being lost actually made for one of my favorite memories, trekking on a camel under millions of brilliant stars, the magnitude of them, usually, lost.