The adventure begins again

I've been back from D.C. for a few weeks now. With my internship and graduation out of the way I can refocus on planning for the big trip. Though I've now decided to log my progress and experiences I've already taken many steps towards leaving the country. I've sold my house and most of my possessions, so they can no longer keep me anchored. Everyone I mention this trip too inevitably says "Good for you, do it while you're young and don't have responsibility." While I appreciate their encouragement (and am delighted by their jealousy), I don't think that they all realize the I am pulling up fairly deep roots to make this journey. Then again, maybe those roots were sown shallow with this sort of thing in mind.
The current push is to purchase all of the gear that I need. It's sort of difficult since I don't have too much backpacking and no mountaineering experience. Like always though, I'm trying to educate myself as much as possible and listening to all my sources of advice. The assent of Mt. Washington on MLK weekend will give me a much better idea of what I might need.