What you're saying is someone might start programming now, or could go off and learn something different, and then start programming.

No, no. I didn't mean it like:
"Hey before you go off into the mountains for a year with nothing but a crate of creamed corn and Tang to learn Perl, here is what you need to know." Although, that would be pretty fun to see what would happen. (For someone else I mean-not me.)

While the other journey might be interesting, why not just start programming. Better yet, wy not start programming, and learn other stufff at the same time; read blogs about all sorts of stuff, take up rock climbing and sailing.

OK, this is somewhat more what I meant.

I have always felt that taking up different things at the same time that — on the surface — don't have much to do with one another can end up having a sort-of cross fertilization effect.

For example:
In this first year I took up learning the blues harmonica at the same time as Perl. (It's not going as well though.) I continue to draw, shoot photos and design since that's my profession. My wife and I have traveled twice which is something we love to do. I have read a bunch of books which mostly didn't have to do with Perl. I also started cooking more again and finally managed NOT to kill a plant. I think on various levels learning Perl can influence and be influenced by all of these.

A direct example of Perl and a life experience helping one another:
My wife and I have been working towards the possibility of adopting a child. It's an intimidating and complicated process. This is not helped by the fact that my wife and I address grown up problems differently at times. We went about researching, brainstorming and doing soul searching both together and individually. At one point I thought "Too bad I don't know Perl a little better. I'd come up with a module for this whole tangled mess." I did, however use the opportunity to take our lists and use them as data to learn hashes and arrays. :-)

So, yes I do think life experiences can help you before and during time spent learning Perl.