[WhiteTiger]

I'm of two minds of this. While I have not "taken a year off and slummed around"...I have done a lot of traveling via being a military child. I like traveling, but I like the security of a job more, honestly.

I have known several people to take a "sabbatical", and not one ever had their old job back for more than a couple months after returning. They have always been released for some reason or another.

It sounds to me like you are well on the path you currently want, and now want to see what you might have "missed". I would ask yourself what you really want from a trip like this. We can't answer that for you. Once you have your answer, decide if you can get what you want from the 'standard' vacation or if you really HAVE to take a year off to get it.

I'd also be very wary of folks saying "You'll get a job right away in the exact same field, no problem!" upon your return. Maybe do some research into what the opportunities in the field you want are, and the sort of availability of them and try to project that a year forward. If the answer is favorable and what you want will take you taking a year off...go for it. If the answer isn't favorable, consider that your single year sabbatical may cost you your chosen career (the "year off to travel" is generally best left to unemployed-just-out-of-university folks for a reason).