There's a version of this that says it doesn't count unless you're crossing borders for months. Ignore it. You don't need to quit your job or drive to Patagonia. Most of what's worth seeing sits within a day's drive, and a Friday departure with a hundred miles of forest road behind you is the same activity at a different scale.

Nearly everyone starts there. Then the rig gets more capable, the trips get longer, the roads get worse. Gear bought properly the first time comes along for all of it.