I did this recently. Just got back last month. I quit my job and went traveling for over 7 months, through South America, across by freighter to South Africa, and by land up through Africa to Egypt.
It was the best experience of my life.
I was hugely nervous about doing it, but it was something I had always thought about doing. Naively I didn't expect to learn much, just that I'd have an interesting time, but I ended up learning a lot about myself (on top of everything that I learned about the countries I traveled through.) Long term travel gives you the luxury of distance and time to think clearly, something you do not have very often in life. On returning I've readjusted my priorities and I think I know better now what really makes me happy. I hope that everyone gets a chance to do something like this. It is a luxury (although it really doesn't cost as much as you'd think), but an amazing one that is well worth it.
I also have some excellent stories :) Let me tell you about the desert in North Sudan...
It was the best experience of my life.
I was hugely nervous about doing it, but it was something I had always thought about doing. Naively I didn't expect to learn much, just that I'd have an interesting time, but I ended up learning a lot about myself (on top of everything that I learned about the countries I traveled through.) Long term travel gives you the luxury of distance and time to think clearly, something you do not have very often in life. On returning I've readjusted my priorities and I think I know better now what really makes me happy. I hope that everyone gets a chance to do something like this. It is a luxury (although it really doesn't cost as much as you'd think), but an amazing one that is well worth it.
I also have some excellent stories :) Let me tell you about the desert in North Sudan...