[andrewce]

If there's a reasonably reputable university nearby, one thing to see is if you can work part-time and go to school part-time (alternatively: see if you can telecommute). Your employer may even be able to help with tuition (time to brush up on those negotiatin' skills).

I'm going back to school next year to pursue an engineering degree (I used to be an English teacher), and will be working through via some of my freelance gigs.

A full courseload still leaves you with at least 20 hours per week to work a job while maintaining a social life, so you're certainly not going to be shackled.

There's a huge jump in psychosocial development that happens sometime in or shortly after the collegiate years, and it's a great place to meet people and to explore, at least for a few years. Ideally, you'll learn quite a bit, too, though that's mostly up to you to decide. Personally, I'd recommend taking a few linguistics courses, as well as a good writing course (rhetoric, if possible, and also narrative).

One thing to remember: if one of them doesn't pan out, you can always go do the other, or do something else. Now is not forever.

Best of luck.