Dear Adam:
I am in the same boat as you; I caught the touring bug and can't wait until next summer. This past August I used all of my vacation time for a touring trip of Eastern Hungary and Westerm Romania. Sadly the most vaction time I can muster is 2 1/2 weeks a year. Count your blessing of 6 weeks of paid vacation! I suggest a lot of short trips and plan one big one for the summer. Sometimes I think the planning stage is almost as fun as the actual tour.
Consider moving to New Jersey. It is much cheaper to live here than in Metro New York. There are some pretty areas in North Jersey close to the city.
John