I'm about to start doing this very thing. I've got enough money in the bank to last me for quite some time at my current burn rate. I'm planning a 6 month break to start learning guiter and piano, as well as surfing and working on a couple of my startup ideas and I guess I'll see how it goes from there. I haven't had a prolonged period of time where I have had no obligations in years and I'm not sure how long I can sustain such a break.

Anyway, I wish you luck in your own endeavor. It seems rare to find people that really want to have some quality in their life rather than just doing what they think is expected of them by society... well, maybe not here on HN, anyway.