swix.... nordic ski much?

Cyclebum's response above captured the variety of tourists I've encountered.

For years I worked jobs with limited vacation. For the last several years of my regular W2 employment (which ended in 2003), I worked things out with my employer so I could have a few extra weeks a year unpaid - this was before I started bike touring, and the weeks were never consecutive, I think I never had 2 weeks in a row off! I was rock climbing at the time, so my vacations were to travel to climb, mostly in-state. I would recommend exploring something like this if it's at all possible with your job.

When I did my first long (2.5 month, long for me) bike tour, I tried to get a sabbatical, it was denied, and I quit - there were other reasons the job wasn't going to work out long term, it's not that I threw away a good thing, it was time for a change. When I finished that first tour, I got a temp job, and then toured, and then a contract job, and then toured, etc.

During my temp/tour/contract years, I did intensive work, then was off for several months at a time, and I had gotten rid of all my big expenses, was renting a room from my sister and only had to pay rent when I was in town... so my expenses were very low. A few years ago I moved to Boulder, and last year bought a house, and for the past several years I've done shorter tours. I still do the same contract work, but I'm more careful about time away and take shorter tours now, since I am the main mortgage payer.

I'm starting to want to do another longer tour - 2-3 months in France/Italy - but now I have a husband and pets and a house payment, so I'm not as able as I was. That's ok though - I like my life, and I'm sure someday I'll make it happen.

Meanwhile, I really enjoy my shorter trips - I do more supported trips, they make more sense in the current time/money balancing act. You have to work within your own personal constraints, decide what's important to you, maybe make some radical shifts, or maybe just enjoy the 1-2 week trips you can do, and maximize their enjoyability for YOU.