I try to take at least a two-week vacation every year, to travel somewhere new. Every 2-4 years, I quit my job and move somewhere. So far I've lived in four US states and the Cayman Islands for a few years each.

In between about every other job, I'll take an extended trip. I did six months around Southeast Asia. I've done extended around-the-US travel. A couple months in Belize/Guatemala. Currently in the middle of three months in Cayman/Honduras.

If you've got no mortgage, no debt, no kids, it's easy to do at any income level. I've made these choices. It's not a tradeoff that many people want to make, but it's available to most people should they choose it (I realize kids aren't always planned).

Most of my trips are low-to-medium budget. SE Asia and Central America can be done for $20-50/day. Cayman is expensive, but I used to live here, so I've got free housing and loaner cars from friends (yet it's still costing me close to $100/day). The US can be dirt cheap if you don't mind car/tent camping.