Hot Showers in a desert compound-Expedition Dust day 47

The sunrise this morning was phenomenal.

As unzipped the tent the sky was filled with a pink light. I got out, onto the red dirt and began making my way up to the top of the nearest sand dune so I could feel the warmth of the first of the day's rays. I stood there for a few moments just breathing in the cool morning air, listening to the silence of the desert. When I looked back down to the tent I could see Dylan had also got out and was preparing his breakfast. About 100 m behind him was a curious young camel bull that was quietly investigating the two strange creatures that just spent the night in its home. I made my way back down to the tent because Dylan was stoking the fire and I wanted to get my breakfast rehydrated. It's so easy in the morning to be able to just add water, hot or cold, then eat and not worry about cleaning anything. I made myself an apple and cinnamon breakfast before getting into the almost autonomous packing routine I have developed over the last 47 days. We set off towards Warburton at 0830. 

The first part of the track was soft red dust over rolling sand dunes and it was bloody hard work moving anywhere. We both mostly pushed for the first 40min after that the track begun to look more and more like a road and before we knew it had indeed become a road we followed it to the roadhouse in Warburton. Civilisation!! There were lots and lots of people, it was so overwhelming I met so many of them as they all want to know where we have ridden from and where we are going! We got into the road House and I brought a burger some chips and two bananas I also got Dylan and I a camp spot out the back of the roadhouse in what I can only describe as the Warburton compound. 3.5m high walls with one layer of barbed wire and then another of razor wire it is not a nice contrast to the natural desert but they do have a shower and laundry so I can't really complain about anything.

Once set up I headed straight into the shower, where I sat down and started the long process of scrubbing the dirt off my legs, at some point, I just zoned out under the hot water and started thinking about life. Everything all people do in their lives is for themselves, I mean absolutely everything (Just hear me out, I can already feel you disagreeing).

I do what I do to empower and encourage others to take control and reconcile with themselves, I do what I do because I want the legacy I create to continue to help others long after my opportunity to live is gone. But I do all of this because of the joy it brings me, I live my own life selfishly to help others because seeing their joy brings me joy. I share my experiences with the world because it brings me joy, even if only one person read the words I write I know I have given that one person an experience and possibly helped them to unlock the cage they might feel they are trapped in. I live my life doing the things that make me love myself.

How I see emotions at the moment is much like a river, good and bad emotions are constantly in the flow and I’m watching them from a small island in the middle. The negatives are most of the things that wash down the river, if I stop them from passing I block my flow and everything begins to build up, flooding everything and drowning me in the process. The positives are all the living creatures, if I keep my river clean and clear I will keep seeing the beautiful creatures that rely on my river and its flow. Remember that old saying “don’t bottle up your emotions” it’s true! Everyone has this river inside them it’s so amazing because it only stops flowing the day you die and it started the day you were born. Your river needs you in the middle watching over it as its guardian. If you know you're holding on to something from the past that makes you feel bad, just let it flow, acknowledge that negative emotion is always going to come and when you see it just let it flow.

Happiness isn’t something you find or even create it’s something you choose if you truly believe you can do something in the physical world why would it be any different in your mind. I know In the heat of any moment good or bad it’s hard to realise that you are not your emotions. You are the person who has created those emotions, you can choose the way you react to them.