Today was by far my best day yet in China. It started early with breakfast at 8:30am then was followed by the hour and a half ride up north. When we got there, we were all ready with anticipation to see the long awaited Great Wall. Now, as a mountain hiker, I’m thinking that I can do this, after all this is just like a mountain. No. No, no, no no, no. Over 5,000 steps just to get to the top… By the first 1,000 my legs were burning all the way up to my thighs. I had to stop multiple times for many breaks before I even glimpsed the wall! By the time we made it to the top, the air must have been thin because I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest much more fervently than just an average out-of-breath moment. But once we were there, damn… That view was more than worth it. To be there, a top one of the seven wonders of the world, it really makes you stop in the moment. After we all took many pictures, a small group of us headed towards the chute to go down the wall. That was SO much fun. My toboggan worked really well, so I was flying down the metal chute all the way to the bottom. It was like a roller coaster that I could control. Absolutely amazing. As much as it was death getting up there, it felt exhilarating from the top down. This is absolutely hands down a must do experience.