[deco]

I've left the software (well, web) world multiple times under different circumstances. I don't regret any of my hiatuses. Taking detours off your career path gives you a unique experience, a new perspective, and broadens your skill set beyond what you're usually able to pick up in a single industry. The cross-discipline experience (in my case, music vs technology) I've gained is priceless to me on both a personal and professional level and I'm very happy with the decisions I made. Go ahead and veer off the beaten path while you're young, it's only going to get harder the longer you wait. The financial ramifications of my decisions have not set me back very much, if at all, and what I may have lost in money I've more than made up for in lived experiences.