Expect the Unexpected

The best days of travel are those full of the unexpected because they present challenges you couldn't possibly prepare for.
Last fall I studied abroad in Beijing, China. They take academics very seriously there so after a lifetime of slaving over textbooks, they finally gave us a day off and everyone was itching to get out of the city. Someone had read that there was a gorge nearby worth visiting. A bus and two taxis later we were doing exactly that.
We were dropped off in front of a tame version of Disneyland but instead of swarms of people, the place was deserted.
"National Holiday." explained the guard, "Chinese no come but still open for you."
We laugh, thank the guard and continue toward the sound of rushing water. The empty shops and restaurants lead us to a giant yellow dragon curling up towards the sky. Spotting an escalator in the mouth of the beast, the dragon becomes a playground as we shout and pant our way to the top. We're spit out onto a bridge where we can see a ferry waiting in the calm water below.
The ferry takes us past twisted trees and delicately balanced rocks until a sharp right draws all eyes up to a rope dangling off the edge of a cliff.
$30 and no waiver later it's me and two Chinese men standing on the platform. They secured the bungee and then my shirt with a piece of scotch tape.
"Ok, ?!”
Ok, jump? That's all I'm going to get?
I'm standing on the edge now, my grip frozen to the hand rail.
The man behind me smiles and prying my fingers from the metal, lifts my arms above my head.
"?,?,?,?!”
Before I realize what's happening, he pushes me off the ledge and I'm plummeting toward the water. I close my eyes and scream, trying to remember this is suppose to be fun and not think of the world spinning around me.
The motion slows and I find myself dangling upside-down, a wooden stick staring me in the face. I grab the stick and am pulled back to safety, adrenaline still pumping and what must be a forced smile creeping across my face.
Looking back, it may not have been the most calculated risk I've ever taken but something about new places gives you a fierce sense of adventure. Part of travel is about exploring new places, encountering new cultures, and learning to understand the world is so much bigger than just what you know of it. Another part though, is about exploring depths of yourself you didn't know existed. It's about being pushed and challenged beyond the face of fears in a way that can ultimately only make you grow.