The cool ground crunches under your feet, the warm sun shines from above. In Iowa, it’s the rich soil below you; in Egypt, it’s sand. The sun is the same, but perhaps it’s a new you.

Years ago, Iowa used to be huge fields of prairie with grass so tall you couldn’t see where you were going or where you had come from.

The sun was the reference point. In the White Desert in western Egypt, you can see for miles all around you. Endless sand, with only the sun as a reference point.

We hired a guide to take us into the depths of the White Desert west of Cairo. We traveled for about five hours away from the bustling noise of Cairo to rediscover ourselves. Eleven students, four guides, three trucks and endless stories. We camped with nothing but the stars between our bodies and the sky.

After living in Cairo for over a month — among 16 million other people and constant noise — it was a liberating experience to travel away and sit in the quiet desert. You don’t realize how nice the peace and quiet of Iowa can be, until you’re dropped down in Cairo, the largest city in Africa.

As we explored the vastness of the desert, I realized how small I was. Here I was, in the middle of a small section of Egypt, not being able to see anything recently touched by humans. We camped under the stars and left nothing traceable from our campsite.

It was interesting to watch my friends spread out from our campsite to the highest points around us. In the desert, humans become fascinated with things other than the brand of shoes they are wearing or what the latest hairstyle is.

Things more fascinating are the tallest points we can climb to become “closer to God” as one friend put it.

In the vastness of the desert, I can’t help but be awed, fascinated and humbled. I realize I am just a grain of sand in the desert of life, a small but vital part of the world. I struggle for words to describe how I feel, and the words don’t come easily at all.

But even in the desert, humans have survived. We camped near the oasis of Bahriyya the first night and then moved on to the oasis of Farafra for the second. The oases are amazing — water, trees and grass springing out of the desolation of the desert. A literal fountain of life.

The comparisons to the prairies in Iowa and the desert are endless.

Both humble you and help us understand our part in the world. After just three days exploring the White and Black Deserts, our entire group had a new outlook on life.

I must say that I did not expect to go camping and feel changed. I wanted to get away from the madness, and spend some time with friends. I wanted to go swimming in hot springs and relax under the stars at night.

We did those things as well, but I came back with a new outlook on life.

Many world religions describe humility as a virtue. The word “Islam” means to submit to God and be humbled in his presence. In Christianity, the quote “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth” is found in the Bible. Many other religions and beliefs emphasize humility and its importance in life.

My time in the desert helped me discover humility and why it’s important to me. Religion is not a prerequisite for having a sense of humility. Humility is medicine for your soul, no matter if you are Jewish, Christian, Muslim or just you.

The next time you are driving through the great fields of Iowa, think of the vast prairie that once stood in its place. Be humbled in the presence of miles and miles of vastness.