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Our Amazing Adventure
(Gao Xing) means Happiness
Close your eyes and imagine a balmy blue sky, an endless terrain of mountains, yellow flowers and crimson leaves. Wrinkled, smiling eyes looking up at you, and the most precious, ancient Wall winding all the way to the sun.
Pockets stuffed with toilet paper, rosy cheeks and runny noses, windswept hair and aching knees. Each day brings a special adventure, which however you are feeling physically, overwhelms you with real happiness.
You become so fond of the jovial beeping traffic in Beijing, the sweet laughter at your Western ways, the fairy tale sense of resting in a rural village watching people at work and play, the satisfaction of looking down at the gorgeous, mighty Wall you have just climbed, and even when you are bravely battling another nose pinching plumbing faux pas, or trying to resist eager squawking vendors, there is nowhere else you would rather be. The Great Wall of China; you’ve seen it on TV, in glossy magazines, you know a little about it’s intense history and you’ve all chuckled about the Dad who explains it was built to keep the rabbits out… You’ve heard of the arduous effort it takes to trek the Wall, the special equipment required, the months of training, even the Olympic athletes said it was hard. But what you realize when you are climbing up those commanding, boundless steps, when the person puffing beside you has that same sparkle in their eye and incredulous grin, is that it doesn’t just take effort, it takes sheer passion. You have been fundraising for months for a group of people who you truly believe in, who have given you a sense that everything is going to be alright, who have made you laugh and sigh and have also supported you when you needed it most. While you walk, you are thinking of the people who have brought you here, how much they mean to you and how your experiences over the years have shaped your life. All of your worries are floating off of the edge of the Wall, and each conscious step is energizing you with an appreciation of everyone else’s reasons and a tremendous gratitude to be there. You are making memories that will last forever and beautiful friends who you will always remember. Funny moments, exhausting moments. Making the most of every moment.
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