Our Desert

The desert area of the United States had been thinly populated and was one of the last areas of the country to be fully settled. Now, it’s experiencing a large amount of immigration from other areas of the country. As such, it’s representative of how the United States is changing, and it provides clues for what this country might look like in the near future. I view this area of the United States as almost another planet. An arid and generally waterless place that man has somehow managed to colonize through massive government expenditure and technological intervention. A place once found so remote that it was decided that nuclear weapons testing should occur here. It’s a place where a person can attempt to fulfill their dreams, the emptiness of the land providing a blank template. Those dreams can be mundane or grandiose. It’s a place for a fresh start, the center of a new religion, a gambling mecca, a dwelling for retirees. And to some, it’s a lost Eden. It’s where the American Dream can be found with all of its complications, promises, and little victories.