12. Stars

I have always been intrigued by science. I love piecing together observations and facts to figure out how the world works. That isn't to say that I'm particularly good at science -- it's one of my weaker subjects -- but that doesn't stop me from loving it.

After that brief respite of sunshine, the sky is back to its typical, angry grey. Looking at the ominous clouds looming above makes me yearn even more for the clear nights of summer, when the sky is wiped clean of cloudy blemishes, and only a blue-black canvas, pricked with starlight, remains.

Over the summer, my family took a trip to Arizona, and I got the opportunity to go on a rafting trip down the Grand Canyon. We spent seven days at the mercy of the water, being tossed through rapids turned turbulent and rust-colored by the recent storms. On the calmer sections of river, a gauzy film of fog hung like a phantom above the river. We traveled slowly through the canyon, stopping to eat or take a side-hike along the way. The only sign of civilization was the occasional motor raft passing by. We would stop our journey by around 4:00, and then explore and make dinner before the fading light of summer's end made any activity all but impossible.

But when the darkness fell was when you finally took notice of the sky. Without any light pollution from surrounding cities, night after night, the canyon is enveloped in velvety darkness. Stars normally invisible stood clearly against the sky. On clear nights, we would line up a row of sleeping bags and fall asleep gazing at the stars. It's there that I learned about a whole host of new constellations, with each star playing a part in the story of the night sky.

There is nothing more humbling than realizing that, in the context of the universe, our world is little more than a speck of dust, making up less than a dot of light in the sky. Because beyond those stars, there are more stars, and beyond are more stars, and beyond and beyond, into forever.

On the one hand, it is terrifying to be so small and insignificant in the scheme of the universe. But on the other hand, it is incredibly gratifying to be a small part in it all, even if nothing more than a blip on the radar of time and space.

Looking at the stars, one cannot help but feel incredibly lucky.