Experienced by Beija in the Sahara desert, age 10, written at age 11. Check out our Morocco reading list and discussion about what to wear in Morocco.

The Sahara desert night sky surrounded us like a blanket, engulfing the world in darkness.

The bonfire licked the stars, dancing and twirling. The drums kept a steady pace. Boom, boom. The local Berber men were telling a story that had been passed on through generations, the words creating a soothing song.

The Milky Way was spread above our heads, the city lights gone and replaced by stars. I would blink, and more would appear, brighter than before. The dunes had disappeared, the darkness hiding the world from our eyes. The drums stopped.

My eyes shut and the sound of crickets filled my ears. Chirp, chirp. Silence was non-existent in this place. But it was just the crickets and the music, a sound that I could never forget. I was draped over my mother’s body, her heart beating steadily from beneath her shirt.

The temperature cooling me from the day of desert heat, the wind was flying in all different directions. I looked up again, and realization dawned on me. This was Paradise.