I didn’t have any expectations of China before coming here. I was planning my entry just as Canada had published a travel advisory but that didn’t affect my judgement in the slightest. I was originally planning to head to Nepal by going through Tibet but foreigners are limited to applying for a permit to Tibet from tour agencies. Because Tibet is a sensitive area, permits are not granted for February and March. I’m learning all sorts of limitations and gotchas as I go but I’ve been fortunate so far to discover them before showing up at a border. It takes a surprising amount of frequent research to safely and efficiently get from one place to another, especially when you can’t find much info in English.
The difficulties of traveling here as a lone foreigner have definitely helped me grow more confident and also more comfortable with a slower pace. As much as I like to see it all and do it all, I have to keep reminding myself to slow down now and then to focus on what I’ve enjoyed so far and how to maintain that path.
I’m all settled into this lifestyle now and I plan to keep at it as long as I can, facing and overcoming new challenges each day.
I'm now in Vietnam for up to 30 days and tomorrow I think I will go find me a motorcycle 🙂
Click the image below to open the full gallery of photos I took during my stay in China