I'd been searching for days, driving through landscapes so ancient and raw they felt like another planet entirely, when suddenly I rounded a cluster of massive boulders—ancient granite giants that looked like they'd been carelessly tossed by gods—and there it stood. One tree. Alone. Its thick, peeling trunk reaching upward, those distinctive spiky branches creating sharp silhouettes against the bleached sky.
In that moment, I understood what I'd been seeking: a portrait of resilience itself.
