I spent my 21st summer traveling by bicycle in the US Rocky mountains. It was a little like Neil Armstrong landing on the Moon, it can never be topped! People who have never done what you are about to do, just can't fully understand or appreciate what this will mean in your life.

But enough envey, here's my 2 cents of advice:

There are two ways to go about this, one is to have a plan as to where you will go, ie. have a starting point and a goal. The other is to simply decide where you will go each morning when you wake up. I've done both and each can be very rewarding.

Consider teaming up with a charitable cause. You can raise a lot of awareness and money while getting a lot of good will from people along the way. Use your boat to advertise the cause. Since you are building your boat for this trip, you could offer named strips/panels.

Come up with plans on what you will do in as many situations as you can think of. Think about what you will do when you need help; physically, emotionally and mechanically. If you think about how you will react, what you are and are not willing to do ahead of time, you will be less likely to make decisions based on fear of the unknown. Search as many outdoor sites as possible for transferable skills. Expect adversity and fun. If you’re not having fun, take a break, step back and try to see the situation from another angle. This is hard for me to explain, but finding out how hikers, boaters, bikers, skiers, runners, etc. plan and deal with their expeditions really helps you maintain a fun attitude. Likewise, pick the places and situations that are most likely to fun for you. Decide if you want solitude, crowds or just like minded people.

Sign up for an internet pay service such as PayPal which will allow you to instantly send money to yourself from any internet terminal. If you loose everything, access to money can make a big difference.

Check out www.geocaching.com. Essentially, the site is for people who want to play a high tech game of hide and seek with a GPS. People hide a log book somewhere that is very special to them and everyone tries to find log book using a GPS receiver. The reason I mention it here is that you don’t need a GPS or find the log book to enjoy the places. Just find the coordinates on any map and you will find some spectacular refuges, parks, monuments, etc. all around the world, even along the shore with kayak access. Many of the places are small, off the beaten track places you won’t find otherwise.

Don’t forget, you have the whole world to choose from, even in mid trip!

Keep us posted!