In 2011 before I left for China, a friend and I had invited three young Chinese girls working on a student exchange visa in our Jackson Hole resort town if they would like to visit Yellowstone National Park for the day. 

While roaming the park one girl asked me what my opinion was of China.  I told her, as honestly as I could.  

US President Reagan had once described Russia as “the evil Empire.” And I, at that  moment, thought of China as the ‘evil Empire's brother.’ For the past 10 years had I traveled in much of Europe, South America and Asia, but I purposely avoided the Chinese elephant in the room.

But, I put my cowardice aside and had committed to travel China. I began creating my itinerary in my usual obsessive manner purchasing a lonely planet China guidebook and slowly reading through the entire book scratching out what I knew I would not want to do at this trip — Think Tibet.