There's been some really good responses that I didn't frankly expect.

As a whole, I'm seeing a blend of industries/careers which are probably all interesting in different ways. The commonality being that one can integrate a life of travel as long as you can bring obvious value or skill that's in need, as well as the commitment to follow through on it.

I'll wait and see how I'm feeling about it all on the tail end of the trip so that I'm not making impactful decisions based on a bad temporary situation. With that said, I'm somewhat certain that transitioning to something more hands on mechanically is going to be a better fit for my preferred interests and lifestyle.

I don't think I'm damned to hell if I travel, but if I am, oh well.

I'm a mariner by trade, which has allowed for a lot of time off for travel time. It's not for everyone for sure, but without a degree you can work you way up to healthy six figures and 3-6 months off a year. This is for the US, it varies a lot by country.

The industry is highly variable on schedule, pay, skills required, etc., depending on whether you go for passenger vessels, river tugs, coastal tugs, oil and gas, deep sea or specialty. Union and non union are available. Covid has made thing weird/bad, but hopefully that will be resolved sometime sort of soon.

Working at sea on most vessels requires a myriad of certifications, but most can be obtained piece meal as needed, making up front training costs not too bad. Or you can go whole hog to a maritime academy and they'll push you out the door with licensing to get a solid start.

Not sure if this was mentioned in the other jobs thread, thought I would throw it out there.

Terry, I've skimmed through this thread briefly and have an answer. It's only my 2 pence worth but it has worked for me.
At 27 there is only one direction you need to look and that's working offshore. Your an engineer of some sorts yes..? Well there's an offshore industry that will welcome you, serve you and outlast you. It will fill your bank balance, give you free time off, allow you to plan your life ahead.
Wind Power Generation is now currently and will be 'the future'..!! Look at taking your GWO's as a start into it. If you can get a position as a first level Wind Turbine Tech to get the ball rolling you could go places within this industry. You have the most powerful asset already, YOUTH...!!! I started working offshore almost ten years ago, been a sparky all my life and now I'm into HV cable jointing/ terminating. My biggest life regret is I didn't take this up earlier in my 20's or 30's.
Money they say is the route of all evil, I've found money gives you choices and freedom.

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I think having a usable skill set is key here, no matter what industry your in, if you want to find work easy & have the ability to walk back into a job on returning, you need to be skilled to stand out above the rest, & also be in a industry that pays well so you have surplus of income to afford to be able to take time off....

I’m a electrician, in a field that is very specialised, VERY! I get job offers all the time, even my current job was a call out of the blue basically asking when can I start & name my salary, & I have weeks off at a time, paid. BUT, I worked for the same company for 11 years during my 20s to build up a skill set, experience, contacts & a name for myself. So that’s what it took me to get me where I’m at, but along the way I got married & had kids....so now I have money, & the time to adventure, but kids are school age so long term travel is not for them

After many years of working for a few very large railway organisations 5 years ago I bought a business and went self employed. I am now tied to the business until such time as I get a manager in - it is not a complicated business but it needs attention on a day-to-day basis and the willingness to get your hands dirty. The business provides an income and we can sell it if it becomes a burden releasing cash.

Anyway, I am now developing a second, separate, business that will employ just a few people but it can be manage to a very large degree - if not totally - from the road and at least one of our children will be involved directly on a day to day basis. This will mean that I will be able to travel and still have an income.

Taking on the first business opened my eyes to the world in a completely different way of thinking so that now I see business opportunities - as well as traps - I suspect that I will see opportunities when I travel but whether I bother to take up the opportunities is unknown - I hope that my income from the businesses will be sufficient to finance the travelling on an ongoing basis.

As a sideline I am hoping to give technical talks to foreign railway organisations whilst on my travels - I am a specialist in a couple of niche technical markets. I would hope that this will also provide an income for me as I am be able to act as an agent for a supply companies related to the technical areas.

Travelling
 

By travelling, do yo only mean only for very long time ?
Like taking a year and go around the world ?

=
I had some nice years of travelling, when I had wife but no kids.
We spent one month vacation every year, touring on MC.
Exploring different ares/countries.

The work was not a stopper. But with family including kids.....Not by MC
=

As it looks now. You can go on organized tours. If you want things prepared. And be efficient.
Or go to any place, Rent a bike for a month, have an adventure and then return to work.

One time I took December vacation one year and January vacation next year. And spent 2 month in Ecuador. => hard working periods, but...

=

If you want to combine travel with work. There are some ideas:

* IT work. Like creating web sites or..Other SW development. It can be done anywhere where there is Internet Connection.

* Develop the ability to create good videos. And get a popular Youtube channel => That gives you income to travel. This is not uncommon.

* Books? some good writers can get income from writing books about their journey.

* Split your journey in pieces. Travel for some time. Go home to work. And then back to where you stopped. And continue.

I like the diversity of backgrounds from all those that have posted here. If everyone happened to be around a bonfire I'm sure the group would be an eclectic one. Thanks all for your thoughts on this.

Not sure about everyone else but I don't know that I'd like working on the road. I don't think I'm disciplined enough to turn on the business switch in the middle of a country I've never been in -compartmentalizing my attention based on my surroundings is much easier. That's why working from home is such a slog but to each his own.

MEZ posted about offshore wind which i think is going to blow up here eventually and that kind of mechanical work would be right up my alley. The wages for wind techs aren't very high here in the states currently but hopefully that will change when the demand inevitably goes up. I do value high wages as it's necessary for both substantial traveling and investing.

My brother in law threw out structural fire (his profession) as a possibility which could probably work for most people. About two months off can be arranged annually. For me though, two months just isn't enough to really settle into it. Apparently I'm greedy with my time :)