I take my first step. The rustle of the rocks, the softness of the dirt, the warm embrace of the greenery, the crisp and comforting sound of my shoes touching the ground and the breath of life truly wraps its arms around me. I’ve seen it before, but as I begin this new trek, it’s like a new experience. I guess you could say life is like that sometimes.

My eyes always look up first, but this time, I look down. I watch my footprints make a mark in the red dirt, I watch the bushes and trees as they speak through their being-ness, I feel the rocks shift as my steps become their beacon of change and I realize I am a piece of them just as they are a piece of me.

All is silent on this little adventure. My thoughts and my steps are all I can hear, and it is oh so soothing. The voices in my head are swaying to the rhythm of my stride and I find myself looking down at the path ahead. Both rocks and dirt lie ahead, and as I subconsciously decide where to step, I find the balance of both is best. Just as the pillowy dirt is comforting, the rough rocks are very much alive with meaning — it’s a neat analogy that reminds me of my soul within.

Now, I look up and the voices in my head become deeply still. As the mountains see me, I feel them. There is something so breathtaking about this moment, words float away and silence flows in. So much can be said in the unspoken, and in this moment, conversation has never felt more natural.

The crunch of my feet evaporates in the beauty of what my two circles see. Red was never my favorite color, but this red is my favorite vision. The textures, the green growing through it, the vastness and the presence of it all takes one to a different dimension. Thoughts seem so foreign, because breath is all that truly exists here.

The wallpaper of a sky lets my mind get lost in this waking dream. To my eyes and to my body, it all seems so real. But to the me within, it all feels so much bigger. Maybe “real” is just what I imagine it to be.

I guess the best part of this trek is the freedom through it all. Sure, man carved out this hike to be walkable, but, the hue of Creation birthed this magical life we call nature. I can feel freedom flowing and dancing in every scene. As I ponder about this freedom, I realize the uniqueness of every plant, rock, patch of dirt, and mountain is what makes it is so magical. I think hue-mans are a lot like that.

I stop to soak in the harmony before I turn back around. I’ve always had this image in my brain of holding my own book in Sedona, and in this moment, I know now is the time to make that image a reality. I let the pages of my words breathe in the melody of peace that surrounds. And as I do this, I hear a tree speaking back to me. So, I let my book rest in its gentle arms. And all feels so truly complete.

Well, if you haven’t guessed it, I am back in Sedona! It’s already been such a magical trip, I hope my words do it justice! Just wanted to share a piece of it with you and take you into a little vortex of the beauty Sedona brings. Thank you so much for reading! For a fun bonus, I compiled the images into a quick video too! I think these images deserved to be experienced in the stillness of the soul and in the beat of music’s imagination! Be fearless and free -Ace

My debut book, The Waking Dream, is out now! To purchase, click here more info!