The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.  ~St. Augustine

The following journey concept is one that I fully intend to follow through with.  I was assigned this journey presentation only a few days after my sister had broached the subject of a Trans-Siberian Railway adventure over the summer, and I don't believe in coincidence.  Therefore this will be an exploration of what such a voyage would entail.  

Motivation

- As the quote above indicates I feel that travel is a necessary element of a fulfilling life.  The world is filled with so many tantalizing people, places and things that to merely sit at home is nearly criminal.   It has become increasingly true as the world has evolved to become an international community enabled by advancing technologies.   As far as I can remember I have felt this way fueled by early exposure to travel through my parents.  I love to explore new places as they inherently present new experiences which are the only way to broaden your respective horizons.  Beyond the stereotypical "I love to travel because I love traveling" motivation I am particularly excited to finally visit China and Russia two countries that rival the United States in political clout and far out-pace it in history.  This will also be my first trip to Asia, so i have no idea what to expect which is terribly exciting.  A very personal reason for going on this trip is my sister, whom I mentioned earlier.  While she attends the University of Washington I have not seen her in nearly a year now.  She left last July for Beijing where she worked at the 2008 Olympics.  From there she continued on to Chengdu in the Sichuan province where she currently is participating in a study abroad program.  I, of course, miss her very much and am ecstatic about the opportunity to spend a month or more traveling with her.

The Trip

- My trip will begin as most do, from my home.  I will get dropped off at the Seattle-Tacoma International airport sometime in late June or early July after having said farewell to my friends and family.  From there I will take what I believe is a fourteen hour flight from Seattle to Beijing, China where I will hopefully be met by my sister, Stephanie.  We will stay in Beijing for about a week as she shows me the ins and outs of one of the world's most important cities.  What I'll actually see I have little to no idea; I leave that entirely in her capable hands.  From there we will make our way (most likely also by train) up  along the eastern part of China until we reach Vladivostok in the far north-eastern corner on the coast of the Pacific Ocean.  This is where we will embark upon the actual Trans-Siberian Railway.  From there we will travel approximately 150km to the next major stop at Ussuriysk where the line branches with the Trans-Manchurian line as well as a line that goes into Korea.  While I would love to explore both of those places they will have to wait for the return trip.  From there we continue on to Khabarovsk with its famous Amursky Boulevard, a popular shopping destination.  At this point in the journey we finally begin to move in a predominantly western direction bringing us shortly to the Amur River, the world's ninth longest river, and across it.  The next major city in our path is Birobidzhan most commonly known for its two powerful synagogues, The Birobidzhan Synagogue and the Jewish Autonomous Oblast.  After passing through the city of Chita our journey reaches a crossroads of sorts.  We can choose to continue through Russia or potentially take Trans-Mongolian line through the Gobi Desert which is our inclination at the moment.  The Mongolian line reconnects at the city of Ulan Ude near world renown Lake Baikal a city which until 1991 was closed to foreigners.  It includes many sights worth seeing including an expansive ethnographic museum as well as the largest statue of the head of Lenin.  From there it is only 50 kilometers to the metropolis of Irkutsk one of the largest cities in Syberia with a population of around 700,000 people.  From there it is a long haul, nearly 700 kilometers through Siberia, until we reach Taishet a rather small town of only 40,000 that originated as a supply station for, you guessed it, the Trans-Siberian Railway.  From there it is another 400 kilometers until we arrive at Krasnoyarsk on the banks of the Yenisei River, the fifth longest river in the world. (I was unaware this was also a whirlwind tour of the world's longest river)  Krasnoyarsk is most well known, at least as far as travelers are concerned, for its huge national reserve known as Stolby. Stolby or the Rock Pillars is nearly 500 square kilometers of giant granite rock formations and is quite obviously famous for having some of the best rock climbing in the world.  By this point having traversed almost 6000 kilometers by rail we come to another city on the banks of a river, this time Novosibirsk on the Ob River.  Another city originally founded due to the railway Novosibirsk has prospered growing into the largest city in Siberia and the third largest city in Russia.  From there its just a hop skip and jump over two of the worlds largest rivers, the Omsk and Volga, approximately 3000 kilometers, and a few towns such as Tyumen, Perm and Yekaterinburg, with populations of over a million people a piece, to reach Moscow.   Perhaps the city that I am most excited to experience as well as the final destination of the Trans-Siberian Railway.  The largest city in Europe, Moscow contains more places of interest than you could visit if you spent a life-time there and in all likelihood I will only be there for a few days.  Some of my priorities are the magnificent Red Square as well as Tverskaya Street an area well known for its vibrant nightlife.  While this concludes my Trans-Siberian expedition I still need to return home somehow.  I intend to either meet up with my parents in Sweden after this or possibly continue on to either the Honors Amsterdam or the Honors Berlin programs; and from there eventually across the Atlantic on my way home completing my circumnavigation of the globe.  I apologize that I could only touch on each of these places so very briefly, in my defense I haven't been there yet.  You will have to stay tuned for when I have experienced them in person this summer.

Tentative Schedule

June 25 - Depart Seattle Tacoma international airport.

June 26 - Arrive in Beijing

July 3 - Depart Beijing

July 4 - Arrive in Vladivostock

July 5 - Embark upon the Trans-Siberian Railway

July 6-7 - Khabarovsk

July 8 - Birobidzhan

July 9-11 - Embark upon The Trans-Mongolian Railway

July 12 - Rejoin the TSR

July 12-13 Ulan Ude

July 14 - Irkutsk

July 15-16 - Through Taishet to Krasnoyarsk and Stolby

July 17 - Novosibirsk

July 18 - Yekaterinburg

July 19 - Perm and Vladimir

July 20-27 - Moscow

July 30 - Arrive in Berlin/Stockholm/Amsterdam?

Budget

One way ticket from Sea-Tac to Beijing ~ $800

Train ticket from Beijing to Vladivostok ~ $100-200

Trans-Siberian Railway ticket ~ $400 (2nd class) ~ $800 (1st class) 

(Additionally these prices may vary depending on how long I stay in individual cities)

Accommodations ~ Unknown I would estimate no more than $800 dollars

Spending money ~ 500$

Ticket home (Using Stockholm to Seattle) ~ $1000

___________________________

Total ~ $4000

Travel Blog 2 - The Seattle Waterfront in the Day

The difference between my visits was like night and day. (literally!) As fortune would have it the day I returned was perhaps the most beautiful day to grace Seattle in months and the city responded accordingly. Where silence had been the only sound, now voices, laughter, and the hum of the metropolis greeted me. It was as if the first time I had been here had been a dream, somehow not real, a shadowy substitute. Now everything was revealed in its true splendor, disrobed of its fog and shadow garments. The dull roar of traffic crossing the bridge as the sun glinted off the marvel of civil engineering. Each boat in the harbor, formerly strangers, now proudly introducing themselves to anyone who would spare them a glance, The Ghost, The Guatita, The Red Fox. . . In the background snatches of conversation reach me from a nearby café unintelligible yet comforting. I directed my gaze across the water eager to identify the sources of spectral luminescence that enthralled me last time. They are the gorgeous abodes of wealthy citizens. There is a prevalence of glass in the structures as if the residents couldn’t bear to be separated from the waterfront for more time than was absolutely necessary. The cold finally interrupted my reverie reminding me that it is still mid February despite what the weather may suggest, or I may wish. As I turn to leave I reflect upon the two very different faces that Seattle chose to show me and I hope to encounter many more of the facets that Seattle contains.

Travel Blog 1 - The Seattle Waterfront at Night

With an assignment as open ended as this I felt it only right to leave my choice of local equally open ended. I merely left my dorm sometime in the prime of night and let instinct, fate, my whimsical nature or some combination of all three guide me.  In this way allowing the journey equal importance as the destination.  An eerie mist had settled over Seattle blanketing the city in a grey that smoothed the sharp corners of the cityscape and muffled the senses.  I was not surprised when I found my feet had guided me towards the water.  Perhaps subconsciously attracted by the disembodied forest of masts rising from the mist, reminding me of time spent sailing with my father and the love affair those experiences have instilled in me with the ocean and by proxy the vessels that traverse its surface.  I found the longest dock, its end lost somewhere up ahead and stopping only to glance briefly at the ominous No Trespassing sign I walked towards the end, desiring proximity to the water.  The edge was like the edge between this world and the nether.  The water shone like an obsidian mirror, reflecting only darkness as it merged seamlessly with the night sky.  The two massive entities appearing as one.  The sound of an engine in the distance startled me out of my hypnotic reverie and I observed the spectral luminescence of its headlights crossing in the night where a clearer night would have revealed the 522 bridge.  The departure of this captivating sight left me suddenly aware of how truly cold it was outside.  As I turned to leave I knew that I would almost assuredly return and if you ever find yourself with some free-time between two and four in the morning I highly recommend it.