Jaunted

The 33-year-old writes that people have been driving around the world for years, but it's actually more difficult now than it was just a couple of decades ago due to war and political unrest in the Middle East and some African countries. To get through certain trouble areas, Rapp will have to take a few unusual measures, like military escorts (in Pakistan), government minders (in China), and major detours (the Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia).

While his trip is bound to be unpredictable, he's done all he can to mitigate the biggest risks. He'll be driving a 1996 Toyota Land Cruiser with all kinds of special modifications, including a rooftop tent, extra battery, and refrigerator. He's gotten every conceivable vaccination and loaded up on malaria pills. And he's mapped out the route as well as anybody could, heading south from New York to the southern tip of South America, shipping the car to the southern tip of Africa and driving north to Morocco, shipping the car to Spain and heading southeast across Europe and Asia, shipping the car to Los Angeles, and finishing off with an all-American cross country drive. You know what? It sounds awesome.

Naturally, he'll be keeping a blog while on the road, so check out transworldexpedition.com for updates. Good luck, Nicolas. Slow and steady wins the race.

[Photo: Trans World Expedition]

Related Stories
· A Year On The Road [AP via msnbc.com]
· Trans World Expedition: The Year of Living Dangerously [Official Site]
· Nicolas Rapp Information Design [Official Site]
· Road Trips [Jaunted]