Depression or philosophical?
Yup - I definitely answered my own question when I asked 'if this is really where I want to be'! Now to figure out what to do about that.(read: the hard part - sit with myself and figuring out exactly what I don't like about working here, and determining a 'move on' plan) (and then execute it. etc.)
When I consider my finances, I may have more flexibility than I thought - I have a few months' worth of basic expenses saved up, on top of the travel fund / nest egg. And yes, I definitely automate my savings, and credit that entirely!
To be completely honest, my first reaction to the question of 'what I would hope to get out of traveling' is that it helps me collect experiences. I think of myself as having a sort of 'experience database'. This way, when I come across new events or stressors, I'm usually able to relate that to some kind of previous experience, and then I'm better able to tackle it. I have found that I am prone to meltdowns when I face stressful situations that I cannot rely on past experience for, though ABCDEF has very much helped me here.
That said, travel does do more than build my armor. I find traveling to be a skill in its own right, and one that I like developing. My progress so far has been 2-day, then 10-day, 30-day international trips. I would spend a 3-month trip in Mexico. A year-trip would go from southeast Asia, west on the trans-siberian railway, more europe, and probably finish with the 'camino de santiago' pilgrimage.
