i was a developer at a couple of big media companies for 4y. ended up leaving the last one to start my own company. left that 7m ago to travel because i was burned out. this summer i spent 4m consulting in vancouver, where i was able to spend time with a lot of great friends who i hadn't seen in years. that was amazingly recharging.
left vancouver in oct to come to buenos aires. i spent 4-5 weeks of hanging out in cafes, reading, visiting antarctica, hiking in nature, and experimenting with ideas in an inspiring city. being away from the distractions of everyday life was helpful to evaluate the best direction for pursuing my calling (not a job, or a career - more here: http://is.gd/b7h8). it has been friggin amazing and i'm totally recharged.
you know that fire in your belly that causes you to be obsessed with what you're building? i haven't had that feeling in ages, but i've got it now. i was lying awake in bed until 430a yesterday thinking about a feature, so i said screw it - i got up and implemented it and was up until 630a. can't even remember the last time i even considered that.
i guess my point is that you can definitely get that fire back. my first thought when reading your post was that you need to take time to chill and figure out what your calling is. it won't feel like work when you do.
Thanks for the brief but highly motivating post, kareemm.
This site comes to mind... http://www.privateislandsonline.com/
Just make sure theres no local pirates!
1. Work your ass off to have good savings if you don't already. This may take a few years.
2. Make sure that there are people in the US who would like to work with you as an independent contractor so that you know you can make a buck when necessary.
3. Move to a foreign country with an advantageous exchange rate (Argentina comes to mind).
4. Buy some property in a place you like and relax! Your money will go very far in such a place.
Living in the US and not working are fairly incompatible unless you're loaded.