Ch 1: The Journey of a 1,000 Miles (6,965 actually)

6,965 miles (or 11213.65 kilometers) is the distance between Washington D.C. and Beijing, China. That's where I will be flying to this coming July, 2006. It's the trip of a lifetime (so far) for me as I will have the opportunity to back pack through a country rich in history and culture during a time when it is returning to the world stage (after quite a long slumber).

My name is Ashton Lee and this is a log of my soon to be travels through China this summer of 2006. I will be joined on this journey by my three younger brothers. It's one of those fortunate moments in time- they are all undergraduate students and I am an 06-07 graduate student with the summer "off". I want to share my experiences and thoughts throughout this trip with friends and family that can not be with us. I'm also a big fan of self reflection and what better way then to blog? Think of this as your own personal tour through china without having to leave the comforts of your computer screen.