Jumping Across Deserts by Melissa Bartell

On December 17, 1922, Andre Citroen sent an expedition of Citroen half tracks (also known as autochenilles) to follow the camel tracks across the Sahara desert from Algeria to Timbuktu on the banks of the River Niger. It was the first time anyone had attempted to cross the great desert by automobile, and while the story has fallen into nostalgia-cloaked obscurity, it was still a landmark undertaking.

Lately, I’ve felt like every word I write is as unsure as that first trek across the Sahara. My work-writing is laced with dread. I’ve fallen out of love with my blog. I’ve retreated into escapist reading, bad television, and bubble baths more often than is truly healthy. I feel like being witty, engaging, or even interesting, requires too much effort.

But, as they say, knowing is half the battle. I’ve claimed my sense of ennui and now I’m doing something about it. What am I doing? A 24-day weight-loss jump-start program. It’s a system from a popular brand of health and fitness products, that I’m not going to name, and I’ve done it before with great results, but this time, I’m doing the first, most difficult part – a ten day gentle detoxifying cleanse – while my husband is out of town. I’ve picked this time specifically because it’s easier for me to follow the program when I don’t have to account for his different tastes and nutritional needs (or lack thereof – my husband is still a follower of the “orange food diet”).

The second part of the program is the jump-start, and involves increasing protein, eating only “clean” carbs, and boosting physical activity (something all of us who live at the keyboard should probably do), and the last time I went through this program, I found that my strength and endurance improved a lot. I was sleeping better. And I was writing better too.

When I interviewed Lisa Loeb for this magazine several years ago, she said that she makes an effort to do something for her mind, her body, and her spirit, every day. I’m adopting her plan. I’m also reminding myself of one of the first rules of NaNoWriMo (which I don’t participate in any more, but still recommend): It takes 21 days to form a habit. So, 24 days. A new habit of honoring mind, body, and soul. No more writing just for work, but writing for the joy of it. Suddenly, crossing an actual desert seems like child’s play.

Andre Citroen funded a trek across the Sahara in half track vehicles. Me? I’m crossing my personal desert on a pogo stick.

Note: Image for this piece comes from Rosaneh Magazine