Why Blog?

I have created this blog because I am going to be studying abroad for one semester at a university in central China beginning in about a month. Recording my experiences in a foreign country is the primary reason that I am blogging. Of course, I could simply keep a personal diary, but I would like my friends and family to take this journey along with me. Also, I am open to strangers sharing in these experiences. A public blog seems the best way for me to accomplish this goal of open communication.

Another relevant piece of information about me is that I am a journalist. I claimed that title more than seven semesters away from earning a degree in journalism. One does not need a degree to practice the art. And the art of journalism boils down to one element: story telling. Blogging is one way that I can practice telling a story- my own story. Through telling my story, I hope to learn how I should better tell other people’s stories, and therefore be the best journalist that I can possibly be.

As for the name of my blog, Traveling Alone, it is obviously relevant in that I will be leaving everything that I know and everything that I am comfortable with as I travel. I will be on a journey by myself in a foreign country. The name, however, is the title of a song by Sherwood that seems to aptly describe my personal situation. But I will save an explanation for another blog entry.