Wow, that's a very interesting thought, I didn't see the link but you got me thinking. I think the link between mountains and language learning is they both have very little to do with "the summit" or the "big goal." On mountains, you might be lucky to get 10 minutes on the summit. And if you didn't get camaraderie or great stories out of it, the "accomplishment" is all for nothing.

With language learning, everyone initially wants the career opportunities or whatever "prestige" is associated with the language, but it's really about the people you meet along the way. Similar to your experience in rural Japan bonding with strangers on a great journey.

The "reputational risk" of writing about Russian (without being political) definitely weighed on me, but then of course I knew that my readers being language learners understand the nuances of life! Thank you for your most insightful comment ever!