Great original post. It must have be so difficult to write that. Sharing those those thoughts with other touring enthusiasts is a wonderful start to feeling better. Who better to understand the thoughts you're having.

I think our Western culture puts a heavy emphasis on time, unlike other cultures (apologies for non US/Anglo readers) where time isn't so important. It is second nature to think about how long something will take to complete and then stick to it rigidly.

Learn from the experience. What would you do differently next time? If you're completely against touring now the lesson's been learned and no harm done. You can easily sell your gear on ebay and will have lost little. BUT if you're (hopefully!) keen on trying again you're likely to succeed because you know what you want/don't want, like/don't like and can plan accordingly. Also, you now know what to do differently to avoid making the same mistakes.

I think you would have regretted more if you hadn't gone than if you had gone. Peter Pan's comments that you over-reached and over-explained jump out at me. Not just because you feel the need to explain to others but because you set the around-the-world goal so highly youself. If a goal is too easy there is no motivation to achieve. If the goal is too high, it can seem impossible and like there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

Mate, only you can decide whether to have another crack at it or not. Remember that if you are set on a trip across the U.S (a commendable achievement in itself) you'll be absolutely determined to do it and will know how to plan the trip so that it's as pleasant as possible. Set low daily kilometre goals and surprise people when the cross-state trip turns into something longer and they receive your e-mail from California!

Take care,

Matt