Omayra Acevedo, Colorado Rocky Mountains. There I was, outside, sharing a twin mattress, a heated blanket and a couple of sleeping bags. I was exhausted. It was 18 degrees, one o’clock in the morning, not a cloud in sight, the owls were hooting, and my face was numb. It took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust, but when I rested my head on the king-size pillow, I realized that the sky was dancing. Suddenly, I couldn’t have felt more awake, alive and inspired. I found myself making a wish for every star that shot across the sky. 

What’s known as the 3200 Phaethon asteroid is to blame for the spectacle that occurred between the evening of December 13th and the wee small hours of the 14th. As the asteroid traveled across our universe, it left behind a trail of debris that sparked a meteor shower. The trails of dust left behind by comets are called meteoroid streams. However, when the dust enters our atmosphere, it vaporizes and produces the streaks of light we see as shooting stars. Most meteor showers are caused by comets, but not this one. It was triggered by an asteroid acting like a comet. Asteroids are generally formed closer to the sun and are considered to be made up of metals and rocky material. Comets take shape further from the sun and are made up of ice, dust, as well as rocky materials. 

I found myself making a lifetime of wishes. I wished, in excessive detail, for a better 2021. Not just for me, but for all of you. In gentle whispers, I sent my mother messages and wished with all my heart that she could hear them. I contemplated on the new adventure I’m about to embark on next month. I threw in a few questions and doubts into the cold air around me, and even drowned in moments of gratefulness. I didn’t know what was more beautiful; allowing myself to wish for everything I’ve ever wanted and feel everything I was feeling, watching the constellations move, the silhouette of the owls flying above us, or the Geminids meteor shower.

One by one, meteors took their turn presenting themselves across the sky. Each one flashing memories of 2020 before me. From breweries to hiking trails near and far, ice climbing in Ouray, waterfalls, dreaming in the Gore Range near Vail, shaping the clouds for signs, riding in trains in search of adventure and history, self-exploration, new friendships, encountering wildlife, the pandemic and wildfires changing lives, finding hope, and even falling in love. We have been through a great deal together this year, but it has given us the opportunity to discover a lot about Colorado, but more importantly, about ourselves. 

(Originally published in the December 24, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)