First post... I've spent the past few days reading this forum and love it...so I'll get in on the action.

Quick background : June, 2010 finally finished college with 2 B.A. (Journalism/Sociology), graduated on a Saturday and on Sunday used a chunk of my savings to buy a one way ticket to HKG to be with a lady friend. (I'll spare you the details of how bad of a decision the lady situation worked, but let's say that didn't happen for very long.) So I was in South China with a bag weighing exactly 50lbs, a ukelele, a Chinese Visa and what was left of my sparse savings.

Now, I've biked from West Virginia to Oregon, trained my way across much of western and central Europe, spent some time in Morocco...but Asia, China particularly seemed like a particularly interesting challenge, since my English, French and German weren't going to get me very far. And the mild south China winter was very appealing.

Fast forward five months. I've worked guest gigs as a bartender, picked up some freelance work when possible, learned a bit of Mandarin, played a lot of pick-up basketball and almost died in traffic at least twice a day.

I honestly like China, despite the overall level of cleanliness, pounding music everywhere and all the non-angry yelling. Armed with an old school walkmen tape player and a bunch of Bruce Springsteen cassettes, I've spent at least 150 hours on busses, a few short flights and train rides when I could find a train station. I've literally been wondering, with no where to go and no desire to do anything particular. I've squatted, camped, crashed on couches, slept in train/bus stations and one night even sprung for a hostel when I was having a less than stellar day.

Pretty much everyone I know thinks I'm nuts, and I might be. But I've gotten to see the collision of east and west head on, at my pace and in places that most people have never heard of, or want to be. Picked up a bike along the way and tried to show the Chinese in Shenzhen how to play bike polo, although I think something got lost in translation.

Along the way, I've gotten rid of most of what I brought with me. My xbox got sold, most of the clothes I brought either wore out, got lost or intentionally left places because I didn't want them anymore. Currently, as I sit in a friend's Hong Kong apartment, I have two pairs of shorts, one of shoes, five shirts and a pair of jeans in addition to my Walkmen and laptop. My large rolling luggage quickly turned into a waterproof backpack while at the HK/China border crossing while chatting with a nice Australian fellow.

So, now almost broke I realized the need to at least get back to the states since I lack a valid work visa for anywhere and at the least, would like to see my parents for the holidays. Through a few extended Skype chats, I've lined up a gig as a tour manager for a friend of a friend's band as they tour the east/south/midwest of the U.S. January-late March. More living on the road, late night drinking and strange people...but I'll finally be getting paid to do it!

Much like my arrival in Asia, the departure has been equally hasty. Upon arrival in HK today, I got a falafel and poutine (thanks Wan Chai) and headed for the nearest travel agent that Google provided since I don't have a credit card or anything like that (cash in the backpack FTW). Well, after five travel agents, about an hour on the MTR and a quick break for a beer in T.S.T to enjoy the skyline for possibly the last time, I finally booked yet another one-way, this time back to CVG. After the usual looking up flights/whatever travel agents do, I got stuck on Delta (nowhere near my first choice, but miles from Europe knocked the price down a tad).

I have a deep seated hatred for Delta. Years ago going transatlantic and having an odd connection patter, I was left bag less in Germany one day before the Hurricane Music festival and no real address to send my bag. So after the festival, I made my way back to Koln and got my bag, now five days later. Equally as much my fault for lack of a local address since it would have been there next day...so I got over it. And then, three months of riding the rails and couchsurfing across France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, the C.R., the UK and then Morocco, I made my way back to Madrid to book yet another day-before one way back to CVG with a short stop in Malaga to tango with some local ladies...

By now, I'm hoping the one-way thing isn't getting old, but vacationing/roaming isn't nearly as fun with a specific date it has to end. I was again about out of money, so I said F it and just booked my ticket at the airport (unfortunately with Delta again) and slept in the Madrid airport for the night. Low and behold, I get to CVG and my bags are still somewhere in Europe. Thanks Delta. Next day, bags get dropped off where I'm staying.

So, this time flying one way with DL, I'm happy to not have to check a bag. I fly out of HKG Friday AM local and touchdown at CVG sometime like 20 hours later. I know this story would be better with pictures, but I try to limit the amount of electronics I carry and the laptop and Walkmen have been better companions than a camera. Thread will be updated as the flight happens/I get drunk in flight.

After five months of biking, walking and using every form of transit possible including motorcycle taxi, it will be nice to be in a familiar city again. I'm not even a huge fan of Chipotle, but it will be the first place I take the bus to upon arrival. The only fast-food/western food I've had since arriving was said falafel above and a cheese burger at a McDonalds because they had free internet.

For what it's worth, Bruce has been a great traveling companion even if the cassettes are starting to show their age. I've also been surprised by the battery life I've been getting out of the Walkman.

Note: most of Asia and Europe trip were paid for by freelancing and picking up odd jobs along the way. Once I had a friend wire me $50 US while waiting to get paid in Chang'An China, but other than that I try to live local and spend as little as possible. China has been a fantastic place to live on the cheap and the people have been more than amazing in so many ways.

After the tour I'm working, future adventure ideas include a Che-esque bicycle tour of South America, trying to hike the entire length of New Zealand and trying to get any job possible that would lead me to Antarctica. Like stated above, flight updates will ensue as the week progresses and I actually hit the skies again. If you have an open couch somewhere interesting, I'm always up for something new!

thanks for reading my novella.