[Alaska]

A group of us were on a “Zen Kayaking” trip. It was led by a monk/spiritual leader, and we spent almost the entire week in silence observing various meditation rituals. I am exactly the sort of person who loves the idea of meditation, yet am pretty much a disaster at it. Neither my body nor mind cooperates. I faked a lot of the meditation, day-dreaming the sessions away.

We paddled our way through spectacular landscapes. Salmon were spawning. Bears were on the river banks slapping and grabbing at roiling water just crammed with bent, discolored, worn out, half-dead creatures. My paddle kept hitting them as we slipped by.