I had clearly lost my mind. How else could I explain buying a one-way ticket to India? I also bought a mountain bike to take with me, outfitted to hold all my gear, about 50 pounds worth. And I hadn't even ridden a bike in 5 years. No biggie, I thought, just gonna ride over the freakin' Himalayas. Yep, I think it's safe to say I had gone completely off my nut.

But then I ended up in Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Spain, Morocco and Korea. I met whackos and drunks, the morally challenged, the worst of the lot. Friends, I call them. And we did everything and nothing and whatever we wanted because we were free in the best possible way.

"Freedom is good thing, perhaps the best of things. And I was drunk on it, giddy and wild and lovin' every drop."