Finding Perspective in Carlsbad Caverns

A cave may not be the first place that comes to mind when imagining locations that bring you peace. In fact, for many, a cave would more likely fall on a list of places that evoke fear. Those feelings are valid, but if you're one of those people that would rather dive headfirst into a dumpster than spend any amount of time in a cave, I would be willing to bet that you haven't been to the incredible Carlsbad Caverns National Park in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

Though you probably wouldn't guess from its lackluster exterior, this unassuming plot of land straddling the border between Texas and New Mexico is home to one of the most jaw-dropping sights in the country. Somewhere that I found unparalleled peace and that gave me a refreshing perspective on the world. A place that you have to see with your own eyes to truly appreciate. But for now, pictures that will never be able to capture the great beauty of this natural wonder will have to do.

Getting into the cave isn't easy. A long, winding road takes you deep into the New Mexico wilderness and makes you question whether you missed a turn at least a few times on your trip into the park.

As scary as it was to be heading in the opposite direction from civilization with no cell phone service, I found the drive to be wildly cinematic. Twisting and turning around the natural contours of the arid landscape would have lulled me to sleep if I didn't need to watch for oncoming traffic on the narrow, two-lane road. I had plenty of time before my reservation to enter the caverns, so naturally, I stopped to appreciate the sheer vastness of the desert. Little did I know, the best was yet to come.

Though, looking back, I should have carried on and secured my ticket. I would end up having to wait in line for the better part of an hour to reach the check-in desk for a reservation I had made months in advance. Still, I couldn't be happier that I took the time to appreciate the peace and quiet I found just by pulling off the side of the road for a few minutes. It really set the scene for an experience that would unexpectedly become centered around perspective and just how wrong mine was. Eventually, though, I found my way to the entrance of the cave. I didn't understand that what lay ahead would be life-altering, so I found the now seemingly puny entrance to be awe-inspiring.

A couple miles of steep trail led me hundreds of feet into the earth's crust. As the paved trail winded around large boulders and slithered between stalagmites, I became enthralled with the ever-changing nature of these features. The ground was wet and slippery. Echoes of water droplets falling from the ceiling filled the chambers and rang in my ears as I continued to explore the chambers through which I was led. The cave was alive and being altered before my very eyes.

As the features of the cave became progressively more impressive, I was able to look back at what I had previously seen and reflect on how it made me feel. I found that they evoked the same emotions that much of the more intense sights did, nevertheless at a lesser scale. With this, I learned to appreciate the smaller details in spite of the grander spectacles in front of me. I could be amazed by the cave's entrance and still acknowledge the insanity of what I saw later on. One did not negate the other. Even so, the spectacles couldn't be grander.

Massive rooms filled with thousands upon thousands of stalagmites and stalactites humbled even my wildest dreams. Picturesque scenes of unimaginable beauty beckoned me further into the cave's depths. There I found even more incredible sights, each one seemingly more grand than the last. Soaring ceilings that rose up to three hundred feet high at some points created an atmosphere similar to that of the outdoors. If I didn't know better, you could have convinced me that I was looking at the night sky in some of the cavern's more vast areas. I felt incredibly small standing next to pillars of limestone

millions of years in the making.

Their presence loomed over me and instilled in me a newfound sense of perspective on the world and of myself. I was overcome with calm and belonging the likes of which I had never felt before.

A wave of emotion came over me as I walked the additional couple miles of trial at the bottom of the cavern. As I explored, I couldn't help but feel at one with the intricate collection of systems that Is our amazing planet. Nothing has made me feel this way since but I long to be able to find those emotions again. It is my wish for you, reader, that you would one day be able to feel that same way. Maybe a trip to Carlsbad Cavern's National Park is just what you need to reassess your perspective and alter the way you see yourself. If you're ever able to go, It might just change your life, too.