Rescued from the Desert

Written By Jennifer Axcell

“The desert does not ask for your permission.”—Unknown



Stranded in the desert of New Mexico

October 16th, 2025

📍Salida, Colorado, USA 🇺🇸

Greetings from the wilderness!

You've probably noticed that this Love letter didn't get sent on Monday—that was because I was stuck in the desert with car trouble. I woke up Sunday after my first night car camping in Ojo Caliente, New Mexico, only to find I couldn't shift the transmission in my car; I was literally stuck in park.

With a single bar of spotty cell service, plenty of water, food, shelter, and fuel, I decided to hunker down for the day and figure out my options. After getting a call though to my dad, who researched the problem, I welcomed my parents' invitation to drive out to my GPS location with the necessary part to fix The Beast (the name I call my Dad’s Chevrolet Suburban). 

Long story short, they found me, helped me get The Beast to an auto mechanic, and back on the road. Added to the list of things that have not gone as originally planned (see last week's letter), I also got COVID on my flight home from Cancún. So I ended up having to drive back to Salida anyway, to wait out the sickness. Even worse, I unknowingly gave COVID to my mom as well. Damn.


Thanks for all of your continued prayers for health and safety.

 
 
 

I still feel terrible, so I am going to keep this week's letter short. I'm grateful for the time I did have alone with God in the eremos and for my parents' rescue. I look forward to telling you all about my solitude time once I'm back on the road this weekend, down to Arizona (sickness depending).

In the meantime, be sure to check out the additional Love letter I wrote last week from my time swimming in the cenotes in Tulúm.



With Love,

Jennifer

 
 


P.S.—I’d love to hear from YOU! Rather than emailing me or dropping me a DM, please post a comment below 👇

 

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Jennifer Axcell

Jennifer is a multi-passionate entrepreneur, artist, and contemplative who curates sacred spaces for integrative mind-body-soul care, drawing inspiration from her global travels, modern neuroscience, and ancient somatic healing practices to encourage others toward spiritual flourishing.

https://www.instagram.com/axcell_jennifer
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