re: People that take time to just 'figure it out'....

I would say most younger college age kids it's parents and family. Typically these kids come from upper class families, even though many times they can look like bums (I.e. hipsters).

But traveling alone can be really cheap. The plane ticket is usually the big expense, after that you can survive for as little as $20 a day in places like Europe if staying in hostels and whatnot. Even cheaper for less developed countries.