The Quarters (Forbidden City, Beijing, China | ShayneBlogs.com) Before my trip, I wondered if the people of China knew the enormity of their history and how remarkable this is for everyone else on the outside looking in. Thousands and thousands of years of stories and monuments are still

I've always believed that the people we meet, circumstances we find ourselves in, and how we come out of it all are no accidents. I don't believe in coincidence; I much more like the idea of fate. When I look back at who I've met, what I've been through, and when it all happened, I take away little

My first look at the wall, and I had no idea what I was in for. I've sat on this post for a while, thinking of the right way to describe it all. I even looked through my fellow campers' photos to see if that could draw some inspiration for what I'd say. I still don't have any words, just that The

Please excuse my hair, but look at this family! One of the first activities we had in Beijing was a home visit with a typical Chinese (Beijinger) family. I honestly wished this was one of the last activities of the trip, or that we were able to meet with the families throughout the course of our

I went into this year thinking that I could center in on one goal. Little did I know that doing that went against one of my own philosophies. That is, I don't believe in boxing myself in. Goals, in hindsight, are great. However, for someone like me who's a bit indecisive and all over the place,