Be the code luke... *cackle*

For myself the place to start has always been at home. Living and breathing OS's and languages for the better part of 20 years now. Look at life for what could be automated and do it. Who cares if anyone uses it (for now).

Most importantly read and memorize the pull out in The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master

Do these things and you will get to where you are going as it will make it inevitable

Oh! And read Perlmonks constantly. Even for all my living and breathing OS's and languages, it was this site that helped me to understand the 'art' of coding. The advice and situations described on this site are a gold mine of expirience for a programmer of any language, and the best source of expirience free for the sponging that I have ever come across.

Best of luck