Travel Writing for Fun and Profit

There is a poignant scene in the film Jules and Jim by Francois Truffaut, in which, one character (Jules) expresses his envy for his best friend Jim. Jim responds in way I think we all have felt at sometime. The following is an exerpt from their conversation translated into English courtesy of script-o-rama.com:

Jules: Maybe one day...I'll write a love story...

where the characters will be insects

Jules: I have a bad tendency to overspecialise

Jules: I envy you your broad scope, Jim

Jim: Me? I'm a failure

Jim: Prof Albert Sorel taught me the little I know. He said "You want to be what?"
A diplomat. "Are you rich?" No. "Can you legitimately add a famous name to your own surname?"No.
"Then forget diplomacy". But what'll I become? "Curious". That's not a profession, not yet.
"Travel, write, translate. Learn to live everywhere. Begin at once.The future belongs to the curious.
The French have stayed behind their borders too long. Newspapers'll pay for your escapades".

The following link will send you to a wonderful article by Phil Philcox on Travel Writing for Fun and Profit.
If Jim's attitude in some way reflects your own, this article will be of interest to you.