A Whole New World

I was thirteen years old and I remember it like it was yesterday. My family and I had the privilege of traveling to China with about thirty other westerners to be involved in an exchange program at a college in the northern province of Hunan. The students would teach us Mandarin and we would teach them English. The city that we were venturing to was a two day train ride away and it had multiple stops and security check-in points along the way.
While going through customs at the Hong Kong/China boarder we were informed that our train was leaving in 15 minutes and we had to get there, and get there quick! Gathering our belongings and attempting to keep track of everyone on the team, we started sprinting through an enormous town square that was crowded with hundreds of people. I would honestly just keep following the white person that was running ahead of me and hoping that they knew where we were going. My dad was responsible in following up the pack and making sure everyone got to the train without getting lost or losing their belongings.
The suitcases accidentally became weapons of mass-bulldozing and we were knocking into poor, unsuspecting individuals. We had to make this train! The next train that was bound to Hunan wouldn't be leaving for another couple days.
I remember perspiration dripping down my face as adrenaline pumped through my veins. I remember trying to keep track of my family. I remember loving every second of the panic and rush. I was quite calm considering the whole situation was overwhelming.
Finally we made it to the train that was departing in exactly two minutes, but my dad was nowhere to be found! People all around me were laughing, sweating and crying from the immense rush while I was looking for my dad at the entrance of the train. Just as worry was approaching my mind, my dad appeared! He hopped onto the train as it started to move forward. Well, that was a relief!
Once we all calmed down, we began to situate ourselves in our assigned "rooms". They were separated by curtains, with beds stacked three high, and a mini table separating them. I climbed onto my bed that a Chinese man must've made his ashtray since there was a nice pile of ash on my bed. It was China, so I just swept it off and tried to ignore the fact that my bed was most likely adorned with dirty sheets.
I remember laying down and looking out the window as the foreign and unique landscape passed by. It was at that moment that I knew, I was made for adventure.