Desert Life: I get it.

There’s this noticeable trend within golfing communities in the Pacific Northwest. People, and by people, I mean some of our more mature friends start disappearing during the winter months. One day in October they’re on the tee sheet, and then poof - she gone. Around April-ish they start reappearing one by one. Their golf games intact, color in their cheeks, they seem generally, I don’t know…happy?? While the rest of us who have been slugging through the dark months with our jobs, our kids, our muddy fairways, we, on the other hand, don’t look quite so sublimely joyful. They call it “the desert”. But what desert? Any desert? I decided I needed to know more. So, I went deep undercover and followed them. I went to the desert and it was miraculous.

Five of us gen-x-ers (the ones with jobs and young kids and stuff) hopped on a plane to meet 3 of our desert-faring retired friends in Borrego Springs for a long weekend of golf at De Anza Country Club. This made for two perfect 4-somes and we happened to hit a particularly warm stretch of weather (bonus). Our mornings were filled with stretch class, bike rides, coffee, and long walks. Our afternoon tee times provided picturesque palm tree views, drives bouncing down fairways, so much sunscreen, and net money games. After each round: fresh squeezed Palomas, sunset views, and gourmet dinners between the two houses. It took us a bit to knock the dust (or rust rather) off our swings, but by the last hole we were primed and ready to skip the flight back and double-down on the weekend.

After my 3-day infiltration and immersive research on the retired desert life. Observing trivia nights, bird-watching, afternoon naps, happy hour progressives; I’m here to say, this crew has it figured out. I came back refreshed, ready to work on my game, a sense of calm to approach kid and work stress this week and a healthy dose of Vitamin D.

I get it. And I’m here for it.