10 days in meditation (vipassana) + 10 days in the mountains (annapurna)

One trip in the mind, the other so much in the world; both though, were about the body.

In the mountains, the endlessness of the climbs, or the endurance test of the rain and the stomach turning leeches, were unavoidable. Once a few days out, there are few choices, none involving sitting down. Either turn back and try to walk out, but that would be silly, or look up to the peaks and walk up, slowly, step by step. Essentially there was no choice, the only direction up, or down and then up again.

In Vipassana, the endlessness of the posture and the rambling mind, the silence and the doubt, were unavoidable, though there was a choice. And this made Vipassana the challenge that it was. It was never a question of whether I could stay and complete the course, it was whether I could do it well, and benefit from it. Here there is the choice to simply sit; but to work, that took much more effort, much more attention, ardent focus. I could spend an hour, an hour after hour, in day dreams, or in anxiety, but from that I would learn little, or I could muster my energy and observe the body, see its changes, and learn from them.

Both require great effort at times, and both resulted in learning, one through the struggling, slogging push of the active body step after step, the other through the quiet simplicity and silent awareness of the still body. Though they were similar, Vipassana through the effort, provides insight into all actions in life, and can assist each of those steps through the mountains; though it's of great enlightenment as well to walk into the Annapurna Base Camp Sanctuary and realize that you've done it--every step became the entire walk, and here you are.