How do I prep for a touring gig?

[zac2944]

I have a dream of playing in a touring band full time. When I was younger I decided to go to college for engineering and that pretty much put a damper on my dream of touring. To make it worse I've been living with my girlfriend for years and I'm now supporting her through medical school. It seems that I'm now locked into the system of dependants, bills and college debt with no way out; or so I thought.

I think I figured out a way to dodge the system for a while and tour for a year or so. My plan is to save up a bunch of cash, and when my girlfriend has to work her two year medical internship, I take off and play with a touring band. I have two years to prepare before she starts her internships. What can I do to help make it happen?

Here's what I'm doing right now:

I'm pretty confident that I'm a good enough player for most bands. I've been gigging on bass for the last 16 years, but I still work on my chops.

I'm working on sight reading standard notation. I'm not sure if I'll need it, but I hear it could make the difference for some gigs. I can read charts, but I'm trying to work on more difficult jazz charts.

I'm trying to play with as many people as possible, I hand out my business card and try to network whenever possible.

I'm planning on getting myself a website as a showcase. I will have some videos and sound clips of my playing, photos, and a resume. I will use it to help get a touring gig.

I want to make myself as attractive as possible to someone looking to hire a bass player for a tour. In two years I'll start looking for the gig.

I would love to hear some advice from anyone who has played in a full time touring band, or at least knows about how it works. What can I do to increase my chances of finding a good gig when the time comes?