Good for you, Andrew -- your reading sounds exciting! I remember reading somewhere on Erin's site that she's particularly good at helping people sort out various options, so you must have been an ideal client -- someone who has ideas about what he wants but could use some guidance to make a decision.
It sounds like you have a talent for journalism but didn't see it as a 'practical' career option; perhaps this will give you the encouragement to venture forth in this field. There are people who make it, why not you? As for your travel plans, you certainly are free to go ahead with them (it's not like you got a warning of grave danger or something like that), but it sounds like your sense of urgency is mainly based on the fear that you won't get another chance to go on an extended backpacking tour. Have you considered the possibility that you might wind up with a career which allows the freedom for such travels, say, if you were an independent journalist? And while it may seem counterintuitive to move away from your local contacts, they may know about people and opportunities in the Southwest, and besides, you've already shown that you can begin building a network. With regard to future fatherhood, I wouldn't worry too much about it -- if you're graduating at or near the traditional age, you may have decades to make such decisions, and people's feelings about reproducing can change quite a bit. Good luck to you!
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