Hmmm. Would I be a wuss if I did a tour with a company for the first third world trip?
Wuss? No. Possibly bankrupt, but that's not my call. If you can swing it, then by all means do so! Just don't forget to send a post card from Kamchatka or Patagonia.
Nope, I'm with Ian. For example, if you'd have taken that $125k Edelweiss "around the world in a year" trip, the "w" word wouldn't have entered into it...