Traveling thru the Puna de Atacama of Northwest Argentina and the Uyuni of Bolivia my life unfolded like a scroll before me. I wasn’t sure why thoughts from my past kept flashing into my vision, sending me into deep contemplation. Why were these bumpy, dusty, primarily unpaved mountainous roads shaking so many memories free? As my breath shortened and fine particles of red dust filled my sinuses I was forced to slow down, breathe deeply, and be mindful of the alien landscape outside my window. I tried to make sense of a place steeped in geological history, where violent volcanos changed the topography, and dinosaurs once roamed. Layers of rock pressed together held secrets to thousands of years of a world in transition. To simply say it was otherworldly was an understatement.