STEP 1: Cancel the cell phone, throw out the charge cards, and start saving every penny.

Actually the most important planning element (for me at least) is the saving money part. It's pretty hard to save a lot of money in a short period of time, so in order to maximize my ability to save I live at home with my parents to work and I rarely go out and spend money when I'm home. Mind you, I was renting a house and a car and had rooms full of furniture before I decided to change my lifestyle about four years ago. It was hard to let go of all my "stuff" but once I did I felt so free! It also took me about a year to get rid of all my debt before I was ever able to make a change so I'd say if you are serious about doing some long-term travel then getting out of debt should be your first priority. Living at home isn't always easy and I definitely miss having my own place but it's the fastest way to save money and get back out to doing what makes me happy. In the future I may figure out a better way but for now it has worked out pretty well.

STEP 2: Throw the plan out the window and just go!

The next step involves figuring out where to go and what to do. Some people like to read lots of books and do research on places and plan every town and site they are going to see. I am not like that at all! Instead I prefer to pick a place or region and just head there with my guide book and figure it out as I go. Especially on a long trip like this, which could last anywhere from 6 months to 3 years depending on how far I can stretch my money, it would be insane to try to develop an itinerary. So, I decided to buy a one-way ticket to Bangkok and I am going to just continue to buy one-way tickets and let the trip truly be about the journey and not the destination. I am totally excited to actually not have a plan!