Mutianyu was supposed to be the less-crowded part of the Great Wall. I pictured silence, maybe a moment of awe. Instead, I got a shuttle bus packed with strangers, vendors selling plastic swords, and the kind of forced cheer that makes you want to disappear. I walked until my legs burned, past selfie sticks and families arguing over snacks. The wall itself—massive, ancient, indifferent—didn’t care if I was there. I kept thinking: if I can’t feel small here, where can I? Maybe that’s the point. Some places are too big for your feelings. Some walls don’t echo back what you need to hear. #Travel #TravelRealityCheck #NotWhatYouExpect