The story follows 21 year-old Jesse Martin, who in 1999 became the youngest person ever to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world. On his return he decides to take 4 other young people sailing on a 3 year voyage stopping at the worlds most remote and beautiful places. Dubbed the 'Journey of Young People' the young crew planned to make a 13 part documentary series to help fund the trip. But with camera's always rolling and as his crew explore, they are quickly stripped of their idealism and plunged into reality. They must come to terms with the co-dependence they have with each other, the paradoxes that bind many of today's native cultures and their conflicting expectations of paradise and how to get there. The girls are permanently seasick and tensions between the sexes escalates and the girls jump ship just three months into the supposed 3-year adventure. The remaining boys struggle to take control of the journey and invite Danish backpacker Maria on the boat to explore the islands and tribes of Indonesia. But in their search for paradise the trip comes to a dramatic climax as punches are thrown and the 3 remaining crew end their journey in Thailand. At times reckless, sometimes wise, but always bravely honest, Jesse leads his crew of young people on a downward spiral finally realizing a painful reality - the Journey of Young People will always be to grow up.