You couldn't pick a better backdrop for the occasion.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Tiny houses and villages dotted the mountains on all sides. The Mediterranean Sea shone off in the distance.

All was well on paper. But my mind was all over the place, swinging from one thought to another like a monkey in a forest.

Given what I was doing, that was less than ideal.

Running it Back

Don't worry, you don't have to read another post about me running a marathon.

For the 2nd time in the last 7 months, I was at a Vipassana meditation retreat.

While the daily routine was identical to my first retreat in the UAE, this one had a few differences. I was in the mountains of Cyprus, hence the beautiful scenery. And I was here for a 3-day "short course."

I closed my eyes and tried to clear my mind. Five minutes of stillness passed.

As I scanned my body, I silently wondered what might be for lunch. For that matter, I thought about what might be for lunch in a couple of days when I would arrive in Greece. A gyro? Definitely. Could I find a spot to eat a gyro and watch the sunset? I sure hoped so. Now that my job was over, the world was my oyster. What a relief that was.

Damn it. I was supposed to be meditating.

The Monkey Mind

I thought I could re-enter that meditative state from the end of my first retreat. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.

I hadn't been meditating in the last few months and it's not a switch you can flip on and off.

It took 2 days to calm my mind during my 10-day retreat. This time, day 2 rolled around and all I could think about was how the retreat would end the following day.

While far from my clarity in the UAE, there were still some positives!

In the initial hours of my first retreat, a lifetime supply of suppressed thoughts and emotions crept to the surface and there was nowhere to run from them. During my second go-round, I didn't experience any of that.

It seemed that I had now come to terms with my demons by fully acknowledging them in the UAE and afterward.

What I hadn't fully acknowledged was that this retreat marked the halfway mark of my backpacking trip. No running from that now though. The only thing I could do was figure out how to make the most of what I had left.

Realigning my Priorities

Stepping away from the digital nomad life was the first step towards regaining equilibrium on this trip. But it wasn't the last.

Amidst being captivated by the birds zigzagging their way through the mountains and villages, I used my free time to recalibrate my priorities for the back half of the trip. By reflecting on the best parts of the first 6 months, I came up with the following list.

1. Visit more off-the-beaten-path countries
2. Volunteer at a hostel again 👀
3. Be more frugal
4. More seeking discomfort and talking to strangers 👀
5. Prioritizing taking care of myself

I'll discuss these in future blog posts, so stay tuned!

Accepting Vipassana As It Is

The meditation wasn't as fruitful as the 10-day course. Turns out I couldn't cram 10 days of meditation into 3.

That was disappointing but there's no one to blame but myself. I could have avoided that by consistently meditating in leading up to the retreat and I chose to prioritize other things.

Post-retreat, I've resolved to incorporate meditation into my daily routine, and the results have been mixed. It's an odd relationship where I know it's good for me, but I've found it hard to find the time amid travel and the other aspects of self-care I've prioritized–working out, journaling, and blogging.

In the end, 3 days of silence was good for me. I wanted a reset and I got one.

I got to incessantly stare at the beautiful mountains of Cyprus, which for my money is one of the world's most underrated countries. I made a friend at the retreat, Christos, who saved me from a night of sleep on the airport floor, offering me his guest room and a gyro–my new love language.

I left Cyprus wishing I could have been better at meditating but happy for the time to focus on what mattered moving forward.

50% down.

Here's to the next 50% being just as memorable.

:)