Crawling Through Caves

My heart beat wildly as I watched my companions disappear through the hole one by one. I leaned on the wall of the cave for support, careful not to bump my head on the low ceiling. I concentrated hard on my breathing, convincing myself that I must face this fear head on. How did I end up here, crawling through a cave in Malaysia?

The first few rooms of the cave were like cathedrals, with their echoing halls. The farther in we went, however, the smaller the rooms became. There is something hauntingly silent about the darkness inside that cave. Darkness so thick I could almost taste it.

When we finally reached the smallest room of the cave, the only way to continue was to crawl on your stomach through a small crack in the rock. I felt chills as I watched the bravest of our group leap forward for the chance to wiggle through the small opening. Fear, big and raw, started to creep into my mind. What if I got stuck in that dark hole? What if there was a snake or a bat lurking inside while I tried to pull myself through?

I reminded myself of my commitment to always do the things that scare me and silently commanded my heart to beat at a normal pace again as I approached, on hands and knees, the entrance to the next cavern.

The hole was so narrow that as I tried to scoot through on my stomach, I could feel rocks scraping my back through my t-shirt. The bottom of the cave was damp with soft clay that made it hard to find the traction to propel myself through. Finally, I saw light and a smile found its way onto my face as I pulled myself out of the hole into another small cavern with sunlight streaming into it.

Once everyone was through the hole, we crawled through an opening in the roof of the cavern and back into the jungle. As I stood breathing the humid tropical air and watching the sunlight glisten off the wet green leaves, I realized this is why I travel.

I travel to do the things that scare me. If I had not crawled through that dark hole in the cave, I would never have seen the sunlight on the other side. Those who travel have the incredible opportunity to see the other side. We who travel have the chance to understand the world in a way that only those who have crawled though caves in Malaysia can understand.

How did I find myself in a cave in the middle of the jungles of Malaysia? I took a risk, took a chance, to discover what the world outside of my comfort zone was really like. And the view from the other side was astounding.