> ... series of immediate physical constraints is why these hikes are so addictive for people in high-abstraction fields

That really hit home. I work in data analysis but in the early 2000s did a 4-month cycle in Australia and a 7-month walking pilgrimage in Europe. Since then, I've become addicted to walking for a few months every few years. Love the physical challenge of moving across the landscape. But 'suffer' when I return to abstract data work. Feels like a loss of purpose etc... thanks for that insight... Never thought of it in that way...

Do you find jobs that allow you to take sabbatical? Or do you leave jobs and find new ones for each expedition you do?