I was visiting one of my dearests friends during her artist-in-residence in 2005. It would mark my first time in Marfa, TX. I loved it and instantly felt at home. A quiet town on the outside but brimming with new circles of creative explorations within. One evening at dusk we set out to the McDonald Observatory nearby. As we were driving in–on the approach up the windy hill–dusk soon slipped away and we had to turn off our headlights- adjust our eyes- to protect the night sky from light pollution. When we reached the remote viewing room with a telescope, we paused to enjoy the crisp desert air and a glass of wine outside. I sat back with a resounding ‘Ahhhh’ the moment I looked up at the vast sky. To find this magnificent and magical array of lights–it consumed me in its magic. I turned to my friend, Erika, and asked, ‘What’s that?’ as I pointed to the mass of star formations that took my breath away and left me feeling deeply connected to the ancientness of our planet. Erika turned to me with a smile and said, “that’s The Milky Way.”