Let’s not fail to mention that this is freakin’ dangerous, as she will undoubtedly encounter weather and not-so-friendly sea life. And she is all alone.

But the real clincher of the story? Jessica is a mere 16 years old, which would make her the youngest person to ever complete this feat. She sailed out of the Sydney harbor on her pink yacht (which is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen), and is expected to be gone for about 8 months, within which she will sail around the tips of Africa and South America.

At 16 years old?! When I was 16 I was falling in love with a new guy every week and stressing over the pimple on my forehead. If someone had put me in a yacht and sent me out to sea for 8 months I would curl into a fetal position and cry myself to death. This is most definitely one of the bravest 16-year-olds I have ever heard of.

As I sit here (5 years older, and still stressing over the pimple on my forehead…) I am cheering this girl on big time! It’s accomplishments like this that us girls should be striving for. Obviously we aren’t all jumping to sail around the world, but seeing the willpower of this one girl reminds us all that if we put our minds to something we can conquer our own oceans.

Although I’d really like to be able to stop for supplies along the way – I can’t do anything productive without mascara and a cappuccino.

Well, 2009 doesn’t just mean cool cars and advanced cellphone technology. It also means new and improved products for the potty.  Take a look at some of these new things that make the bathroom experience that much more pleasant. Don’t ask me why or how I found these. Seriously.

Poof
This latest product does exactly what it says. It literally makes the smell of your poop go “Poof!” This liquid deodorizer traps the odors of the big brown boys in the water, releasing a refreshing scent of Japanese mint to fill the air. Unlike an air freshener that can just leave the bathroom smelling like misty grossness (fresh spring breeze + poop = fresh and springy poop), Poof traps the odors before they can even try to escape the toilet. No more worries about having to hold it in after your hot date at a Mexican restaurant.

Go girl
Whoever said guys are the only ones that can stand when going to the bathroom? Just because they get to avoid the unsanitary toilet seats that get exposed to way too many butts in a day, doesn’t mean we can’t too!

iCarta
Okay, so this one may be a tad bit unnecessary, but it sure is freakin’ cool. It’s a toilet paper dispenser with a built in iPod dock and speakers. Because pooping is so much more fun when you’re doin’ it with the Kings of Leon.

LavNav
If you’re like me, even the slightest light can wake you up and keep you up. Especially when that light comes from the bathroom when you have to do a little pee pee in the middle of the night. But you know from experience that attempting to take a middle-of-the-night bathroom trip sans lights only leads to wet floors and a giant bump on your head.  Welcome the LavNav. This automatic light turns on when you approach the toilet in the dark, and turns off after you leave, lighting up only the areas you need. Best part is, this energy efficient product uses really cool red and green light. It’s like a disco toilet.

Other fun idea: bring your laptop. There is some sort of sick pleasure that comes from IMing your friends from the bathroom stall. What, just me?

Between Beyonce’s latest mega-hit, “If I Were a Boy,” and our recent discovery of a tool that lets women pee standing up, I started thinking about what it would be like to be a guy for a day. Is peeing standing up really all it’s cracked up to be? And do guys really have it easier than us on a day-to-day basis?

This week, the CollegeCandy team weighs in on this very topic. What would they do if they could be guys for a day. What would you do?

Brithny – Duke: I would walk around with my shirt off all day. Assuming that my new guy body has a six-pack, of course.

Cristina – Michigan State University: I’d probably want to see what it’s like to get hit in the balls, just to see if they’re really exaggerating about whether or not you can compare it to childbirth (something I still wouldn’t know).

Laura – St. Johns: If I were a guy for a day, I’d definitely take advantage of not having to care about what I’m wearing or how my hair looks!

Sara C- Fordham: I would totally have fun going Number One. I’d probably set up an obstacle course to see how far and how accurately I could pee. You gotta take the new ride for a spin, am I right?

Donnette – Manhattaville College: I would hang out with all my guy friends and find out what they really think of the girls they know.

Thu – USC: Go to the beach barechested. I wonder how awkward that would feel…

Lauren – University of Michigan: I know it’s weird, but I kinda wanna see what sex is like from a male perspective. And get a job and get paid more for equal work.

Elizabeth – UC Berkeley: I would sit around with guys, drink a beer, and see what they reallyyyy talk about.

Kari – FSU: I would eat WHATEVER I wanted, watch SportsCenter to see if the fascination is biological, see how long it took me to get drunk and then proceed to pee in various outdoor locations.

Sarabeth – University of Texas: I would start up another conversation with another guy…see how they really talk without girls around.

Noa – CU Boulder: I wanna sit down with the guys and give them a few hints on the correct ways to treat a girl.

Danielle – Boston University: I would buy a big bouquet of flowers and give them out to cute girls on the street. I would soooo appreciate if a guy did that for me!

S.E. – Fordham: If I were a guy for a day I’d want someone to kick me in the balls. I want to see what all the fuss is about. It can’t hurt that bad right?

Carly – Grinnell: I’d want to kiss a girl just to see if it feels any differently from the other side.

Seriously. Growing up with two brothers, I was always jealous of how quickly and easily they could rid themselves of their Yoo-Hoo juice boxes. I tried it a few times (I can’t believe I’m admitting this), but it was far from a success. Unless you consider washing the bathmat and changing my pants a success.

My desire for the speediness peeing standing up allowed only intensified with each passing bathroom line at a party. I attempted to use the men’s room many times – because there is never a line there – but the weird looks and disgusting floors became just too much for me. So I stopped. And I waited in line like a lady while my fellow squatters took their sweet ass time.

It is infuriating, boring and a total buzz kill. But it looks like it may be a problem no longer. Ladies, we can finally pee like the boys do.

Sarah Dillon, who is now officially my hero, created a product that allows women to go #1 without wasting all that time sittin’ down. It was originally created to help older women who were unable to sit due to knee or hip surgery, but she realized that younger and agile women could benefit from it too.

Now, instead of wasting all that time pulling down those tight jeans (or worse, tights), covering the seat in TP, sittin’ down and doing your thing, then squeezing back into your pants, you can simply whip this thing out and pee on your feet. Well, not literally on your feet, but you know what I’m saying.

The Go-Girl is cheap ($4.99), sterile, compact (fits in your purse!), and can be reused…if you really want to. Oh, and it’s pink. Tres chic!

The bathroom was the final frontier for bridging the gender gap and it we are finally there. And just in time, too. My birthday party is coming up and I do not want to waste any time at the bar standing in line.