Arizona ~ California Ecotonic Journey

Interstate 40 slashes through the country, in some places putting fast-traveling cargo and humans through completely wild land. In other areas it's more like a many-miles-long strip mall. Most days of my trip across the country were a mix of the two, yesterday was a day of feeling dwarfed and awed by "wild."

I love the desert. I grew up on the Atlantic Ocean, so my thoughts of "desert" were the beach without water. The first time I saw one I was astounded by the amazing abundance and diversity of plants. I couldn't see the animals and insects, but I knew that the desert was teeming with life. The first time I saw a Joshua Tree, it was midnight at the Joshua Tree National Park, by headlights! I felt like I'd landed on another planet.

I spent lots of time in the desert yesterday. I drove west until suddenly I wasn't in the wild anymore. I was in one of the most populous and vibrant cities in the country. What an amazing ecotonic shift.

Hello Los Angeles....