I was 28, and had 3 weeks off from work between research projects. I knew I wanted to go for a bike tour but wasn't sure where. Pretty much at the last minute I decided Shenandoah National Park (SNP). I packed up my camping gear, etc - probably 40 pounds of stuff - and for 3 weeks biked and hiked from Silver Spring down to the southern end of SNP and back. I biked 800 miles, met lots of interesting people, and had many adventures, and here was the best one:

I was camping at a developed campground in SNP. My campstove wouldn't light. So I asked the campers a few sites away if I could boil water on their roaring fire. They had just started it, I guess maybe they used gasoline, because it was briefly flashing up to be as high as the guy tending it. He was shirtless and muscular, with long black hair, and no fear of fire apparently, since it was flaring up dangerously close to his hair. He also had a good center of gravity (since I used to do martial arts, I notice that about people).

He and his 6 companions graciously invited me to dinner. The menu was baked peaches, baked potatoes, and lots of wine - they were French and very hospitable.

Seeing no tents, I asked them where they slept. They said that they were going to set up hammocks - apparently very far off the ground based on where they were pointing. (but if it rained they would sleep in their van).

That should have been enough clues...

As we lazed around after dinner drinking more wine, they mentioned that they had to go into work the next day. I asked where they worked, figuring they were au pairs or something. They looked kinda embarrassed, like, oops, didn't mean to mention that. Sheepishly they told me, that, um, they were performers in Cirque du Soleil!

That's the high point of the story but I'm on a roll so you get the after details too.

They asked me what I did, which at the time was sleep disorders research. They were fascinated and wanted to know all about what it was like to work in a hospital. I was thinking, guys, you have it backward, YOU are the ones with the awesome jobs.

A beautiful thunderstorm started to roll in, breaking the party up. I hadn't showered in a couple days so I was really looking forward to standing in the rain. I crawled into my tent to change. I had set it back in the woods a few feet, away from the main campsite, so that it would be under the trees, next to a pile of rocks. Turns out that wasn't the best move. As I lay in my tent, the thunder upset the nest of rattlesnakes living in the rocks, and they all began to rattle. Oops. I was too scared to get out of the tent so I didn't get my shower after all :(

Now I am a huge Cirque du Soleil fan. Have seen them live twice, which if you have never done you really should, and I also saw their IMAX movie , Journey of Man. Story of Man has a scene where a guy with long black hair juggles this huge cube that's on fire. I am bad with faces so don't know for sure, but I think there's a good chance it was the guy I met that night.