Jackontheroad

I am thinking/planning/deciding and until I finance my trip, that would be the moment I know for sure I am going.
In the meantime today I started my "training" and with the favor of your knowledge I would like to have a feedback about my bike and also I want to share my first experiences on this 25 mile trip.
I started at home in Katy, TX riding a too small for me Trek that a friend gave me long ago. And when I was about to enter the bike trail heading to the Noble Road Trail I realized the tires needed air and I didn't have a pump so, I pedaled back to the nearest car lube station and fixed that problem and got back to my path. There I stopped so many times to smell the flowers, actually to take some pictures to the flowers and insects, also I used a few of these stops to drink Gatorade (what do you think about drinking gatorade instead of water).
In one of the cross roads while checking my map a nice guy asked me if I was OK, kind of offering help if I wasn't. Nice. I was OK, I didn't need help.
A lady said something like "two the left" or something and I understand what she meant, my question is, should I answer something or just keep quiet, what is the polite way?
Earlier in the morning I knew I wanted to change the bike for a better one so, the trip was also designed to visit some Pawn shops and trade my bike, what I did at the very first pawn shop I found on the road and that pretty much limited the length to 25, in my mind I was kind of prepared to ride as much as 50 mile. But, I kind of liked the first bike that I saw and if not for the actual trip, it is going to be useful for the training.
The new bike is a Novara Buzz from REI, comparing with pictures I think it is from the 2009, and while I couldn't find the size somehow on the frame, I think it is a 18". It has disc brakes? SRAM deraileurs, etc. and I think this components are considered high end, maybe? and the Novara is also considered a good brand I think?
If I like riding this on my training and if I figure out how to attach racks and panniers, my question to you is, should I pursue working on this frame to be touring ready or should I try to find something different, better?
If any of you have a touring bike or a bike that you consider would be more appropriate to my venture and are in the Houston area, let me know.
Well, the guy told me he was selling me a bike with flat tires and the rest was OK. And I said I was OK with that.
Somehow I forgot I was in Houston and there is not a bike shop every block and in any case here the blocks are really long.
Anyway, I was on the side of the road getting frustrated because no driver offered me a ride until a nice guy, Tom, you guessed it right a cyclist himself, stopped and offered me a ride to the nearest bike shop where I learned how to inflate a tire with the other kind of valves. I went for my lunch across the street and I could tell the seat was really low so back to the bike shop I fixed that to momentarily because at home I am going to fine tune, I changed the height once more already.
Tomorrow I'll do a tune-up.
Comments are welcome.
Peace.