When I traveled to the oasis of Siwa in the Egyptian desert, the locals told me that if you have wounds, you can try soaking in the salt lake; the blue-green water will heal you. However, once you immerse yourself in the salt lake, if you're not careful, the salt stones underwater might scratch your body, leaving new cuts. When you leave the lake and stand on the shore, the sun will cause the salt to crystallize, leaving a thin white layer on your skin, like salting.
This reminded me of the feelings during long-term travel. You will meet many people, encounter various changes, and face danger, tension, anxiety, and real harm that can cause emotional scars. Of course, you will also have adventures, and encounter acceptance, kindness, protection, and of course, love.
During the long journey through more than a dozen countries, I recorded these moments of being hurt and healed, capturing the crystallized salt in my memory, poetic as salt curing, and calm as the lake water.
