It really is amazing how much preparation goes into something like planning a trip like this, not only the emotional prep, but all the logistical planning. Here is our master plan of what we’ve had to do so far to prepare:

• Travel Agent—UPDATE 12/6/06: We weren't really getting anywhere with our initial idea of using the Star Alliance for our trip, so Jason decided to search on-line for some alternative ideas.  Low and behold, he stumbled across a site www.aroundtheworldtickets.com.  Now we thought, how perfect does that sound.  Then it got even better when Jason found their address at the bottom of the page, and realized they were actually located down the street from us in SF.  I called right away, made an appointment, and within two days our relationship with Bernard Gardier, the guru of around the world tickets, was forged.  This guy seriously knows whats up with travel--he introduced us to Air Emirates as a wonderful around the world package, which is the route we decided to go.  Not only that, but he hooked us up with Business Class tickets for the entire trip, for a very reasonable upcharge--we figured with that many hours of airplane seats under our butts it would be worth the extra money.  I don't mean to sound like an informercial, BUT, I highly recommend ATM travel if you have any plans on embarking on world travel--Bernard made the process so easy, and he is quite knowledgeable about many remote areas of travel.
• Vaccinations—We got these taken care of over the summer. I was actually able to track down my doctor from when I was 13 years old, and retrieve the list of vaccines I’d already had, which saved me from being poked a lot of times. We still need to get a prescription for malaria pills for when we visit South Africa and parts of South-East Asia
• Passport Renewal—We just got our brand, spanking new passports in the mail yesterday, and I already outfitted mine with a cool red leather cover that my brother and sister in law gave me. Now we’re focusing our attention on finding just the right cover for Jason’s passport. I know he’s taking suggestions for colors and styles. . .
• International Driver’s License—we were informed that it’s a good idea to have an international driver’s license so as not to be hassled with our California ID, so I sent our application off today to AAA, and will hopefully get them in a couple weeks.
• Scuba Diving Certification—we’re planning on doing lots of diving, especially while in the Great Barrier Reef, Fiji, Capetown, Bali, and probably some other places, so I scheduled our certification training for when we go to Maui in December
• Travelers Insurance—I’ve been doing lots of investigation as to all the plans out there; however it’s all kind of confusing to me with so many different options, and lots of fine print. This is definitely a task I’ll be passing on to Jason to figure out.
• Photography—I figure I’ll be taking pictures galore, so I just signed up for a Photoshop class. Now I’ll be able to doctor up all the bad photos I take, and make Jason and I look tan and skinny the entire year.
• Renting Our Place—We need to put an add on craigslist soon to start advertising that our wonderful little abode will be for rent for the year. Anyone interested in a “contemporary 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo, in the heart of San Francisco”!?!? UPDATE on 12/6/06:  We rentated our place for the entire year!!!!!  I must admit I never expected that three year old twins would be living in Jason's office, but it works for us.
• Home for Hank--This is by far the most difficult thing we are encountering so far (putting the guilt aside), so if there are any takers out there, who want the most amazing animal to love them for a year, he's yours (we'll even throw in some bonus $$$$)  UPDATE on 12/6/06:  Our wonderful friends Dave and Belinda have graciously agreed to take Hank for the first 6 months of our trip.  We keep telling Hank he's moving in with his girlfriend Sydney, since he is in love with that dog.  We're still accepting applications for the last 6 months of the year to watch Hank. . .
• Laptops—I got home yesterday from a weekend in LA, and my amazing husband surprised me with this super teeny, Sony laptop, which literally weighs less then some of the books we’re bringing. AND, he got it in the color sienna. Jason’s now excitedly planning out which machinery he’ll be purchasing for the trip (he’s in heaven with this task)
• Car—We worked out with Jason's brother that he would be taking over the lease for our car for the year--that's a big relief!
• Business Cards--We figured we've been telling everyone about our trip, and will be meeting tons of people while traveling, that it might be handy to have a card that lists our "info" for our friends and travel partners.  So, Jason designed and printed up a Wandering Walkers business card.  If you want one, just ask next time we're hanging out!
• Will--Although it's a morbid idea, it's a reality we have to address.  Who wants my book collection?
• Essential Items--We bought our very cute matching his and hers swiss army backpack/rolling bags that will basically serve as our dressers for the year.  A dual time-zone watch, with a compass was purchased recently.  Random articles of clothing that seem durable, light weight, and somewhat stylish have been scoped out.  Books, books, books!  Jason wanted his own camera, so he bought that.  There's still much more to acquire, but we still have some time. . .