Want to know a fun fact about my family history?

We are very keen on uncovering more about our ancestry.. However, there is a certain point where my family tree comes to a screeching halt. Many moons ago a young woman, of which name I will never know, made a bold decision.. She left her new baby at an orphanage doorstep with a note that said something along the lines of not being able to bare having a child of a Mongolian. I never knew why I loved Chinese culture so much until I heard about my families past at a reunion a few years back, everything started to click.. It also makes sense as to why my sister has almond shaped eyes.
Regardless of this odd beginning, I have always been determined to walk along this ancient path. To say this is something on my bucket list, is an understatement. Many people put things on their bucket list thinking that it is something they want to do before they die and really don’t put it into consideration until they feel the end might be sooner than later. I would say I have another type of list, one with things that I deem mandatory to do as soon as I am able to accomplish it. This was certainly one of them.
We took a nice peaceful gondola ride up to the wall, and were given an option right away. Easy side, or steep side. Being a group of artists we definitely have something to prove so we chose the path less traveled. My thought was, “Why not both?” I stayed with the group until we reached the end of the wall that was open to the public, sneaking into some closed off areas along the way. Once we did the group photos and everything, I decided to jog back. It took me 12 minutes (I know I recorded the whole thing) to get back to the original location. I could have stayed and sat for 18 minutes for them. However, I decided to go on.
This was the only place in China that you will ever meet more people that speak English than Mandarin. It was flooded with tourists, selfie sticks and cheesy t shirts. But, there was just something about the vibe of everyone, the “I’m actually on the Great Wall of China” thought that was flowing through everyone. I could feel it unifying everyone. We were all open to talking with one another and sharing our journey.
It may sound super cheesy but.. It does not matter where I go. The most memorable thing will always be the real, genuine, human moments.