Hi Geocapital, welcome to IronMiners. What has fascinated you about the idea of mining that has stayed with you since childhood? It is indeed possible to start your own mining operation with a relatively small amount of capital as we have done -- see
http://www.ironminers.com/mines/pipes-mine/ and
http://www.ironminers.com/mines/blackbird-mine/ . With the price of gold at record highs, more and more people are operating their own gold mines, whether recreationally, or as a serious business venture. However, keep in mind that mining is hard work and experience is necessary. You can gain vocational training, gain certification, or you can even go the full route of attending a university. It really depends on what area of mining you are interested in and whether you want to work for another mining company first or start your own as we have done.