Here it is. Finally. The book that kicked off the whole damn thing - columns, TV shows, bestselling books. It all started here. In 2005, approachingmy 30th birthday, I cashed in a painfully earned insurance settlement to travel around the world, on my own, in search of.what? I had no idea what I would find, who I would meet, and where I would go.just an instinct that travel had something deep and meaningful to offer. I would have to be obsessively frugal, say yes to every opportunity, follow my heart, trust my gut, and let the journey unfold.

With a discipline I didn't know I had, I committed to recording my journey once a week through words, images and interviews, captured in this book. On my return, I pitched this manuscript hard, but the world wasn't ready for it, and probably never will be. And so here it is, for posterity: the time I climbed an erupting volcano, got my first tattoo, floated down the Mekong, spearfished in the South Pacific, hitchhiked in Albania.along with all I learned and the characters I met on my five-continent adventure. It's some of my best and most reckless writing, full of passion, hope, curiosity and fun. Go Go Gonzo!.