And so the adventure begins....

Now I start another new experience....a blog on my trip to China for the Olympic Games. This is my second Olympic Games_the first being the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea_but it's my first as a staff photographer for the Associated Press (I went in '88 as a freelancer for the AP). The Games are less than 80 days away and preparations started months ago with getting the proper documentation, flights, shots, and all the details in just getting there. It's a mammoth undertaking for the AP. I'm just starting to plan how to pack the camera gear I need and my clothes, etc., without taking everything but the kitchen sink. Most of the advice I have received consists of "take everything you even remotely think you'll need, but pack smart". I'm excited about making photos and yet nervous about the unexpected. But, that's what makes life exciting.

And so the adventure begins......the first post of what I hope will be many as I prepare, travel, cover the Olympic Games in Beijing, and return back to home base.