The chance of a lifetime indeed!!! Oh mate I am positively green with envy!! Not that you were injured of course – I reckon that you have since recovered, happily – but because you have a huge sum of money that is going to help you live an amazing dream. Some suggestions:

-as you are setting off for the long haul, I’d read one or all of the following: Vagabonding, The Gap Year Book, First-Time Around the World, Globetrotter Dogma. If you’re young, I’d add in World Stompers.

-check out the Thorn Tree travel forum at www.lonelyplanet.com for advice on just about any conceivable travel-related topic. Good times to do this would be when you’re in one foreign country and trying to plan where to go next; you can get up-to-the-day information.

-Sock away 3 to 6 months living expenses before you leave, so you know you will have something to live on when you get back home.

-Don’t forget to get all your affairs in order before you leave. You don’t want anything unnecessary keeping you worried while you’re out seeing the world. Cancel the paper, sublet the apt/sell the house, give the plants to a friend, have a neighbor get your mail, set up automatic internet bill pay if there are any ongoing payments, etc.

-Pack light, keeping only to the essentials. People can get away with 60 lbs of luggage on a short tour, but that will break your back on a RTW journey.

-Consider bringing your own sleeping bag. Im not talking some lumpy camping kit, but a light, compact one. (I recommend the Dreamsack). If you have reservations about the bedding someplace, or catch yourself without a room, you’ll have another option.

-It is smart to book a hotel/hostel for one night prior to reaching your next destination. No worries then about having to sleep at the train station or under the bridge lol.

-I’d use a digicam instead of regular, and upload photos to Photobucket or Flickr or similar websites (should be able to do this at internet cafe). This way, you know your photos are safe no matter what happens to your camera. You can also give your friends and family access to your online album so they can see what you’re up to.

-Since you don’t have a specific route you’d like to take, I’d recommend against buying a RTW ticket, because that will limit your options or cause you to lose money.

-Even though it sounds like you’re winging it, I’d do a check of two things: weather and festivals. You could map out a rough route so as to hit the best weather and/or some really fun festivals.

-If you’re under 26 or a golden oldie, you are eligible for discounts all over the place. Use these if they apply

-Oh one last thing: make sure your passport will be current for the duration of your trip. In many cases you cannot enter a country if there is less than 6 months left on your passport; if you’re within two years of it expiring, it might be a good idea to get a new one.

Think that’s all I have for now, have a wonderful time~