Hello, hola, konichiwa, ni hao, shalom. Wherever you are or wherever you come from, I hope you enjoy reading my blog about my brief journey into the ancient -- and current -- land of China. For one month, between April 3rd and the 30th, I'll be bumbling my way from one hutong to the next. My plan today is to spend a few days in Beijing before heading south to the wilds of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guanxi provinces before leaving out of Shanghai. Stops in X'ian, Pingyao and wherever else might break up the itinerary, but as many of you reading this know, I don't like plans! I might even end up in Inner Mongolia if I keep reading more fantastic stories about it. So keep an eye out for my posts (and mishaps) from the road.

Thirty-one and still dreaming of traveling to the ends of the earth, seeing every wondrous mountain, valley and desert that cover this beautiful planet on which we live. My previous trips to Central and South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and the Canadian Rockies and Pacific Northwest have only increased my hunger, boiled my blood to engage all my senses in the magnificent places and people of this world.

When not consumed by delusions of grandeur, I live out my happy days in Washington, DC, which I've called home for the past six years. Ice hockey, tai chi, kung fu -- everyone's got to have a hobby or two when they're not working. These are some of my favorites and keep this adventurer fit and smiling.