Travel affecting NATS application
I'm thinking about applying to NATS for an ATCO position. I'm 25 and worked in IT for 5 years as a UNIX sysadmin. Last year I quit my job, let my house out and went backpacking in Asia. I came back a couple of months ago but haven't really settled - I've decided that I don't want to go back into IT and would like to apply to pursue a career as an ATCO. It's been in the back of my mind for a few years and I feel that I have the right capabilities for the job, so it's not a spur-of-the-moment thought.
However, I still have money left over and tenants in my house so I'm thinking about going travelling again before I apply while I have the chance (no job, kids, house); probably not a situation I'll find myself in again for a while. If I do go it'll be something like cycling Japan to Singapore, not drinking my way down the east coast of Australia.
I'm a bit worried this might affect my application to NATS, though I'd hope that as long as I could explain my decision and what I learned from it they wouldn't look on it badly. I don't expect anyone here could give me a yes/no answer to the question but I'd be interested to know what you think. Has anyone managed to get a position with NATS after a few years of not really knowing which direction to take, or are they very picky about your past?
Lastly, I'm sorry if this is the wrong forum to ask this in. If there is a more appropriate board on PPRuNe, let me know!