I think the question you have to ask yourself is: What is more important ? Money or life ??

Imagine travelling and seeing exotic new places and meeting people and experiencing things which is beyond most peoples comprehension.

You seem well motivated, educated and good at your job (or you wouldnt be where you are today) so I doubt you would have a problem finding another well paid job at the end of your travells or even starting again from scratch. 1/5 of your income sounds like it maybe still more than most earn anyway.

May i ask how old you are ??

You may find that after 12 months of travelling, all your previous ideas of "contentment" are no longer relavent and your perspective on life may change completely and you will probably hate the thought of going back to your old job and career.

Do you enjoy your job or is it just a good way to make good money ??

If your serious about wanted to get away and travel, then save hard for 12-18 months. I bet that would be quite a wedge huh ? You could travel for years OR just go for 6 months and still have a nice nest egg to see you over until business picks up again.

You are in a very desirable situation which most would envy. You have the money and means to do whatever you want and also have the skills and experience to fall back into a job when you return..

I guess you already have savings or a house too ?

But... I think that if you do let lose and go for it, the idea of coming back to a long day at the office for big bucks probably wont hold the same appeal as it does now.

Travell comfortably for 12 months and see how you feel after. It sounds like you need a change in your life.



Another option is to give me $20,000 and ill go travelling for you and send you all the pictures

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Stagbeetle said
--------" Check this vision of mine for the not to distant future.
At last a good nights sleep in a decent neighborhood, boy if your friends could have seen some of the sights you've witnessed these last few months on your trip around the world. Some people still don't speak English for God sake, despite the Microsoft money being poured in! Well your mobile phone/tv/translator took care of those few aboriginols who refuse to learn Western Speak.(c) microsoft. Still the Ford/BMW Electrobike purred along without a hitch. The solar panels and odd municipal recharge kept her going all the way. Suzie, your Garmin Guide, never set a foot wrong, every direction was just perfect, and those Exxon Lodges seemed to have been sited as if they knew the range of the bike along the Google South American Touring Trail. The views of the Andies, breathtaking, and because you timed the trip so right, only a few thousand other moto tourists around you each day. Now, when your boss asks you the scariest part of your trip, he'll be amazed at your ability to handle emergencies, the way that download of your passport wouldn't load in Thailand would be enough to scare the shyt out of anyone.........------"

I like it mate , too funny .
It sounds a bit like some of the ride reports on ADVrider !
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

ps -- What page in the Touratech brochure do I find the pipe and slippers mount ? - and do you favour the NorthFace slippers or the special lightweight slippers from Mountain Equipment Coop ? Do you prefer aromatic tobacco for dual sport riding or old shag ?
Will my knitted cardigan be ok without the "zip in" fleece liner on colder nights in the Andes ?Are Goretex underpants all they are cracked up to be ?
All these questions need to be answered .

__________________
Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

Over a year ago there was a excellent thread devoted to ways to earn a living while on the road. I'd volunteer to look for it, but I've been in Costa Rica for a year, and am leaving to head to South America in two weeks and don't really have the time to look.

And on that note, I'd decided I wasn't going to head south until I'd saved $4000-$5000. Well, six months later I don't have nearly that amount. In fact, if I said how much I did have, most would be shocked. But at some point you say, The hell with it, I'll just go!!!!! I'm a writer/photographer and PLAN for the fact that with some ideas I have, the money will come. Way too risky for some, but it's always worked before. :-)

Once your away from home, it all seems soooo much more doable!
Lorraine

__________________
Rallying for A Wild Life — THE FILM!
http://igg.me/at/AWildLife

www.LorraineChittock.com
www.facebook.com/lorraine.chittock

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

If you are good at what you do, when you get back you'll be better. May have lost a few yards to start with, but just think of those photos on your office wall and the anecdotes you can pitch in with

Wife + kids makes it harder, buy her a 4x4 and get them to drive back-up, I dunno.......

Or just wait, fingers crossed until you are older.

Me, I'm getting away, really away, for the first time this year, aged 60, and I'm not coming back until I've been all the way around, damn it.

__________________
Happy Trails

Stagbeetle

It is not the Journey nor yet the Destination, that is the Prize; it is the people you meet on the way.

Blog on http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/fairless/

Well, like I said, it is really more a matter of "when" than "if." I realize I need to make this decision myself, but I was wondering what others would do. Work 10 years and retire and travel at 42 for the rest of your life (but probably not like the work for 10 years) or stop at 32 (my current age), travel for a while, but have to start all over again at 35.

Will you really need to start all over again? You have your experence behind you now. I have started completely new careers several times, in completely new fields and don't regret any of it; Industrial Photographer, Agricultural Mechanic, Oil Rep, Self Employed Jeweller, Electronics Customer Manager. That last one nearly drove me mad - literally.

Now I'm a self declared Two Wheeled Adventure Traveller (TWAT) (Twat= English for idiot) So don't take any notice of me, I'm not the most reliable card in the deck.

Anyway 42 is not old, nor is 60 from where I'm standing, enjoy your kids growing up, earn lots of money, don't loose sight of your dream. and get in plenty of practice, you don't have to do it all in one go you know.

See:- two oppsite views from me in one post:confused1:

__________________
Happy Trails

Stagbeetle

It is not the Journey nor yet the Destination, that is the Prize; it is the people you meet on the way.

Blog on http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/fairless/

I like that !!

Now i wont mind being called a TWAT


Where I live, twat is rather more offensive than Idiot though... Slang for "Fagina" or a very very irritating person and general complete arse.

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Oh dear, I had hoped to steer clear of this verbal minefield by defining it as 'idiot'

If you all want to go in search of it's vulgar roots you can check out the Old English origin here (did you know conversational English usually contains over 85% Old English - no, not that word, it's Dutch )

Twat - Definitions from Dictionary.com

Now following this natural break, back to the topic....

__________________
Happy Trails

Stagbeetle

It is not the Journey nor yet the Destination, that is the Prize; it is the people you meet on the way.

Blog on http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/fairless/

Up in the northwest. You can say "I was well twatted" meaning you were drunk and also "To Twat" someone is to punch them....

right.. back to the thread !

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

I must be a GIT .
Geriatric Impecunious Traveller .

__________________
Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

There is only one cure for grey hair. It was invented by a Frenchman. It is called the guillotine.-- PG Wodehouse

Sorry Dodger, old fruit, but Wodehouse was wrong - my hair fell out before it had chance to go grey, and Mrs MarkE has albinism, so her hair will never be anything but pure white. No grey hairs in our house (na-nana-na-na).

It appears I'm a TWAT and an apprentice GIT.

What was the original thread about again??

Here's the link to that original post which got started in 2004. It's definitely worth checking out to find out how others have managed the jobs/lives:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ight=job+money

Lorraine

__________________
Rallying for A Wild Life — THE FILM!
http://igg.me/at/AWildLife

www.LorraineChittock.com
www.facebook.com/lorraine.chittock

It didn't cut and paste the full url but that old thread is now close to the top...
Lorraine

__________________
Rallying for A Wild Life — THE FILM!
http://igg.me/at/AWildLife

www.LorraineChittock.com
www.facebook.com/lorraine.chittock

Unfortunately, it would involve starting over. Being an attorney means keeping clients. If I lose those clients now, I will have to spend years trying to get them back if I tried again. Obviously, I could try a different career (and that is very tempting), but I won't make nearly the same $.

Iv been in my job for 2 years now and been working my way up and by the time I have saved enough to get away I will of been here 3.5 years.

Im giving up 3.5 years of ass kissing, appraisels and promotions to go travelling and you know what.. Im VERY glad.

I can sense myself going stale and need a change.

When I come home im going to try and set up my own business. Its something iv always wanted to do but probably never would if I wasnt already leaving my current job to go away.

Look at it an excuse to open open your horizons and find something you will truely be happy doing.

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.