I hope the message you got from my story is to keep yourself strongly focused because there are just too many things that will try to pull you away. Unfortunately, there are stories of great academics who sacrifice all the beauty the life offers. They are just too focused. I wish then that you keep a perfect balance, day by day. To become a great academic and in the same time to take all the good things life is going to give you.
Yes, that's what I got from it, to take a balanced approach, not too focused on other duties (like not a demanding position in the workplace) and not supremely focused on my academic duties (save time for friends and family as well as just to relax). Thanks again for your insight Torq.
The three things I wanted to be for the longest amount of time was a soldier (before I was 14-ish), musician (until I was 16) and a philosopher. I ended up being just another werker, but I have dreams of being a Jack of All Trades scientist and metaphysician writing books in the basement library of an ancient castle.