Photographer leaves on two-year trip around world

Former Nevada Appeal photographer Rick Gunn will begin his two-year bicycle trek around the world today.

Starting at the Golden Gate Bridge, he plans to spend the next two months pedaling across the United States and ending at the Brooklyn Bridge.

From there, he will embark on his journey to circumnavigate the globe, on what he calls the Wish Tour.

From his father's home in the Bay area Thursday night, however, he couldn't help but feel some pre-trip angst.

"Tomorrow morning may be one of the best moments of my life, but right now isn't very special," he said. "It's been very stressful. But it's exciting."

Gunn, 41, will be collecting donations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation along the way. Every two weeks, an update of his journey will be published in the Appeal and details will be available at www.nevadaappeal.com.

He has spent the last several months preparing for the trip and warmed up around the bridge Thursday.

"Psychologically, physically and spiritually, I'm ready," he said. "It's just all the details. There will still be some loose ends as I pull out of the Golden Gate Bridge."

But he remains undeterred.

"Despite my worries about insubstantial things, there in the cool shadows of my father's garage it came to me - the Wish Tour was about to begin," he wrote in his online journal.