To My Son and China Travel Partner
This post is dedicated to my son, with only pics of him from the 4 week backpacking trip. Were it not for him, I likely would have never seen China. A tall, mid-western young man in China speaking fluent Mandarin through a bit of a Texas drawl deserves his very own post. He paid the price to live in China for a year-and-a-half to learn the language. He lost 100% of his hearing in his right ear 3 weeks after arriving in Beijing, which is tragic enough, but he’s a musician and was attempting an almost impossible task in the learning of a tonal language. He knew no one, couldn’t speak the language, was completely alone and yet weathered the event, triumphing over all the barriers in the end. He’s said since that he so wanted to come home, but he stuck it out. Maybe with a stem cell miracle someday, he’ll regain the hearing.
Dear Son,
This trip, the memories, the photographs, journal entries, public stories, private stories (that we’ve sworn to the other to never tell), the fantastical peregrination would not have been possible without you. While I’ve enjoyed my day in the sun from the attention garnered from my documentation of the trip on this website, the writings, the photos shared with anyone and everyone, the ooohs and aahhhs from friends and family, it all really belongs to you. Thank you for what you’ve given me — the gift of a lifetime.
Love,
Mom
P.S. I’d travel with you again, anytime, anywhere, for any length of time. And I hope that someday, we can again.
We made quite a spectacle that day traipsing to the Kashgar post office with my son carrying the beautiful Dutar, the proprietor carrying packing supplies, the helper carting a large wood box fitted to the instrument for shipping, and me. Two hours later, my son handed over the carefully packed instrument to the lady behind the postal counter. The Dutar arrived home before I did, completely intact. My son is a musician -- a talented guitarist. While I love to tell the story of him picking up my red Fender at a young age and never putting it down and of turning him onto Stevie Ray Vaughan (which he says changed his life LOL), the guitarist he is today is solely because of his tenacity in the pursuit of a passion. May your next instrument be that Taylor of your dreams!
Skipping rocks on Karakul Lake just off the Karakoram Highway near Pakistan.
Monastery of Divine Light
We observed that most every Chinese posing for a picture, threw up the double Peace sign. When in Rome...
In-The-Moment Pause.
On the Wall of Simatai
A couple we met at the restaurant in Lijiang. They loved my son and wanted to party the night away with him. Even he was tired by this point and chose instead to call it a day after the early dinner we shared with them.
In the Gobi Desert
The Thinker?
The Tall Midwesterner with the Digital Camera was a hit with the kids!
The Tall Midwesterner got a lot of stares. He'd gotten used to it by the time I came over.
He kept me laughing.
Looking KEWL in Urumqui
Near an Ancient Grainery Warehouse
With David, the Australian, whose contact information I lost before getting home. If anyone seeing this knows David, please tell him to contact me through this site!
Towards the end of the trip. LOL
Self portrait after we'd parted in the Beijing airport. I was heading home to the U.S. while he still had several months to go. We were both sad -- I cried as the escalator took me to the tram. This is a photo no Mother wants to see.
This next set of photographs are ones taken either by him or of him during his stint in China before and after I visited. They were worthy of being included here.
Self portrait taken at the Hanging Monastery of Datong
At the edge of a rural section of the Great Wall
Taken on one of his Solo Road Trips. Like Mother, like son!
Transport
One of his favorite restaurants
About SRT... I’m a traveler, writer and photographer for whom the open road frequently summons. Adventurous solo road trips are a staple for me, and a curiosity. So I created this website to share them and inspire you to step out and give them a try. Welcome! 
Close to my heart this tribute of your son is. Mine, in his last year of high school, I can only hope will do great things and explore great lands like you and your son do. Often times I am questioned for having such a close relationship with my son. We serve the community and through scouting have spend many a day on the hiking trail or camping. Everyone should experience the inner boost of pushing yourself to the limits of the outdoors beyond what you think you can endure. Scouting has brought us to the outdoors together and helped me to learn alot about myself. this is a grand thing that many do not posses with their children. I believe you are one of the few who have experienced the true selflessness and pleasures of parenting. enjoy! maybe we will meet on the road someday.
Comment by michelle — August 7, 2009 @ 8:56 pm
I am certain I could not travel 10 days alone with my mother. I love her and have learned how best to insure that.
John, on the other hand, you have mastered something greater and to both Tammie’s pleasure as well as her credit, we all live vicariously through you………………………………….blessed along the way to share some of them with you (two). You are a stud!
Tammie, that is the John I know
Comment by Joel — March 26, 2009 @ 5:51 pm
I can only hope for the same relationship with my daughter. She’s only 2, so we have a long way to go. But I hope one day, we too can backpack across China, our ancestral land.
Comment by jen laceda — March 19, 2009 @ 8:12 am
How beautiful !! I cried and laughed the whole time reading it. You never fail to impress and entertain me with your writing and photography skills. =)
Comment by MTN BUM — March 17, 2009 @ 11:18 am
Clay Mama, we’d be nothing without you!
Comment by Tammie — March 16, 2009 @ 8:21 pm
This is my grandson and my daughter, and we are one. In spirit, I traveled with them and was present every minute of each day, and I delight in these beautiful, telling pictures..many I’ve not seen before. Each of these two is a treasure, and the gift they gave to each other on this trip is the ultimate.
Comment by Clay Mama — March 16, 2009 @ 6:54 pm
I have just looked at each image of your son and see a wonderful story here, mostly because he had the opportunity to travel with his mom, as friends I suspect, enjoying yet respecting each other……..so many, many families do not have that chance, I think…….
Comment by Ken Yuel — March 16, 2009 @ 6:10 pm
I’ve been lucky enough to travel a few times with John. Just enough for me to say with full confidence that I can’t even begin to imagine how many amazing memories he and the person who taught him to be him accumulated on a trip like this.
Comment by Daniel — March 16, 2009 @ 1:30 pm
It is nice to know that their are others out there who have a good relationship with their parents. Young people so often deny that it is some of the best camraderie to be had.
Comment by Rachel W. — March 16, 2009 @ 1:02 pm
Your son is a remarkable human being and I love him very much! This post really captured so much of his spirit – it left me happy, teary eyed and grateful all at the same time.
Comment by Joie — March 16, 2009 @ 10:08 am