Of a summer’s day, we piled into a caravan of 4x4s and departed Hargeisa for Ceel Sheikh, a wild beach on the Gulf of Aden, in the palm of the Horn of Africa.

Upon arrival after nightfall, in this remote area and under the cover of night, we threw off our clothes, tossed aside our headscarves, and ran, giddy, into the sea. We set up camp, feasted on roasted goat, and settled in for the night.

Morning comes early to the Gulf: by 4:30am, the sun lifted our eyelids and danced on the humps of camels.

It was a bit of a rough awakening.

But we rose with intention, if not grace, to enjoy a morning on the coast. And enjoy, we did.

Before heading back home, a story in itself, for another time.