I went to see my parents recently. I drove the five hours it takes, and crossed a state line, to get to their home. As soon as I arrived, we packed up an RV and drove south to a remote area of the desert. We brought two all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) for exploration. But over the course of our three days together I learned that exploration isn’t about the vehicles one uses, or the journey, or the road less traveled. Exploration is—in large part—about the time spent and the company.

You see, I don’t visit my parents often. They usually come to see me. Their visits are not solely to visit when they cross into my state. Time with me is usually secondary to the reason for driving five hours. The last time they came they had their taxes done. An overnight stay at my apartment was par for the course. My visit to see them had no other reason than to enjoy their company.

We took the ATVs out for a ride that first day. The sun was low in the sky and we knew we would need fire wood when night came. We scoured other campsites for scrap wood and found enough to meet our needs. The second day we took the ATVs for a longer excursion, four miles up the road then off an embankment into the green and wildflower-laden desert.

We drove over hills, around fifteen-foot tall saguaro cacti, through grassy swales, and into areas thick with the heavy scent of salt cedars. We stopped when we came to a large arroyo that cut deep into the desert floor. We cut the engines to listen to the desert. It wasn’t long before we began to explore the vegetation and rocks that carpeted the arroyo’s floor.

We had our minds set on geodes and raw diamonds. We dreamed of hitting it big with the discovery of a ten pound raw diamond. I found a couple of quartz crystals and mom found another. Dad seemed interested in a group of stones near a shallow embankment that glittered like fools gold.

We talked that evening by the campfire and watched as the full moon rose up over the mountains. Our desert exploration was in our thoughts, but our joy was in the minutes spent; something more valuable than a raw diamond.

Copyright © Tyler Gant 2010 for Just Moving Along .com