About Josh and FarWestChina
Hey there! I’m Josh. I’m a 33 37 year old guy who used to live in the far western province of Xinjiang, China with my beautiful wife and son.
For most people this may be hard to believe but I love Xinjiang. I’ve lived here since 2006 as a teacher, a student, a traveler and a businessman. I’ve written one of the only comprehensive travel guides to the Xinjiang region and I’ve written for major travel publications such as Lonely Planet, DK, and others.
My Story: From Texas to Xinjiang
In the summer of 2006, after shoving most everything we owned into a 5’x10′ storage shed in Texas, my wife and I took two large suitcases and a guitar half-way across the world to Xinjiang, China. At the time about the only thing we knew was that we’d be teaching English in a remote part of China, but nothing could have prepared us for the adventure that lay ahead.
When I first arrived here in China I couldn’t speak a lick of Mandarin and probably wouldn’t have been able to point out Xinjiang on a map. Every chance we had my wife and I packed up our backpacks and hit another part of this province that we’d never seen before.
After years of exploring Xinjiang I don’t think of myself as an expert on the region – I’ve actually met quite a few others who have lived here longer and seem to know more than I do. Rather, I enjoy my role of sharing my experiences in a part of the world that still remains mostly a mystery.
Why Choose Xinjiang?
It all boils down to the fact that I have come to love this province and want desperately to help overcome the misunderstanding that both China and the world have of Xinjiang and its people.
Most news that makes it out of China about this area is negative, so I want to use FarWestChina to present a side of western China that is (mostly) free from political commentary and focused on the lighter, more common side of surviving out here in the land of huge mountains and vast deserts.
There are a lot of personal blogs about China and quite a few websites that focus on ethnic issues, but FarWestChina is unique in that it offers an entertaining commentary on my personal life in Xinjiang alongside a well-researched background of the region’s history, ethnicity, and customs.
Please feel free to sign up for my newsletter below and join thousands of others who receive updates and exclusive giveaways that you won’t find here on the blog. In addition you’ll also get free access to my resource entitled “5 Things You Must Know BEFORE Traveling to Xinjiang”.
You can also join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
If you’re looking to connect with me feel free to use my contact page. This includes interview requests, guest post submissions, or if you just want to introduce yourself. I do my best to respond to all emails in a timely manner, but I don’t promise anything ;)
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope to see you join us…and perhaps make your way out to Xinjiang!
Take care,
– Josh
p.s. In addition to this website on Xinjiang, I also maintain sites dedicated to travel throughout all of China (www.travelchinacheaper.com) and one specifically for expats in China (www.chinaexpatsociety.com). You can also learn more about privacy and internet security (which is a big deal here in China!) on my site All Things Secured or how I maintain a business address while living abroad on Virtual Address Finder.
