Nicholas Varner began traveling in the late 60s, searching for connections across the United States, Canada, Mexico, England, France, Spain, and Morocco. He finally returned to his beloved Sonoran Desert, worked blue-collar jobs, then received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Prescott College with a major in English. He enjoyed a long career teaching students from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds, learning from the stories and beliefs they shared. His eyes were opened to similarities connecting all people of good will. He listened carefully to the First Nations people, especially the Tohono O’odham of the Sonoran Desert. He also coached high school and junior college track and cross country, was voted Southern Arizona Coach of the Year several times, produced many state champions, a JC All-American, and built teams of young women and men from places as far apart as Bosnia and Somalia, one of whom achieved the Afghan men’s 800-meter record. Their team banquets were a cornucopia of Soul Food, Native Food, and the best Mexican Food in the world, all provided by the athletes’ moms. One year, in a Skype conversation, translated from Farsi to English, a mom shared the secrets of her Afghan lamb dish. Nicholas, his wife Kate, and their Malamute Bjorn now live in the mountains of the Gila National Forest in southwestern New Mexico, surrounded by the Chihuahuan Desert―not far from his beloved Sonoran Desert.
