A New Job, and a hard decision

Well, back in July, as some of you may know, I began a spectacular period of unemployment with a little episode of yelling and screaming at someone who we'll just call 'Erika'. (Names have been changed to protect the innocent.)
My work-free summer was marred a bit by some nasty temp assignments, but all in all, I loafed. Add made no money. It was pretty hard going, and the fall saw some serious panic set in, but I was saved at the last by the Lovely Miss Rea, who threw me a stringy, cheesy rope and hauled me safely back to gainful employment. After two blissful months working with the fantastic cheesemongers of the Great Western Road Cheese and Bacon Emporium , I was given the opportunity to pilot my own cheese ship out into the great waters of the great retail sea. I accepted the commission straight away.
I now stand proudly at the helm of the casein classed battle-cruiser Victoria. I am also 50% of the entire crew.
OK, enough with that.
Long story short, I am now the manager of my very own shop. And I have a tough road ahead of me, and I have decided, unfortunately, that I cannot conceivably take 4 months off next spring to go traipsing about in Japan, for spiritual enlightenment, and shopping purposes.
I am postponing my trip for one year, and I will now be starting my pilgrimage along the Shikoku henro trail in April of 2011. I hate having to do this, but in order to take so much time off, I should be telling my boss now, and as I have been the manager for about 1 month, that would not look good.