Something else to think about
:
There is a lot of comment in this thread about how the job-mortgage-house-kids-stationwagon-dog lifestyle isn't much fun, and I'd have to agree. I'm finishing my engineering job next year to see how I do as a travelling writer. But I realise that if it wasn't for those people still stuck in the rat race my motorcycle wouldn't be built, I wouldn't have roads to ride on or cities to visit. I guess my point is that not everyone can get up and start travelling, or there really would be no way to travel.
And the flip-side of that is if no-one got up and decided to see what was over the end of the world, I'd still be living in an English village or wherever it was that my family first came from, destined to spend my life learning the family trade.
So, I've come to the conclusion that there's some sort of social balance operating, some people are always going to be restless travellers and some people are always going to be industrious nesters and that is really the only way human society can expand and develop. I'm just glad I'm a restless traveller. (and the nester is probably just as glad he's got a nice house and a flash car)
And to answer the thread question, 4 years of University to get an Engineering degree and 3 years of working and saving to fund the first leg of my travels. Work smarter, not harder and then work harder as well has been my motto so far.
With my training I'm fairly employable so I intend to stop where my money runs out and start working for a while. As mentioned in a previous post, it makes sense to stop in a developed country where the earning power is greater so I'm thinking about Canada at the moment. Or maybe travel writing will work for me and I'll be able to live off that ...
Also, I've bought a simple, cheap, 2nd hand bike(Honda XR650L) and I'm carrying as little as possible. I've knocked back on

s at the pub and I'm not skiing in the Winter.
Matt
Aussie 2006 - The First Leg