Bam Boom Straight to the Moon

Space.com reports that the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, is in talks with NASA and ESA about eventually making it back to the moon. The head of the agency, Vladmir Popovkin, states that there is enough evidence to support the idea of humans living for extended lengths on the moon or in orbit around it and the Russians have already started the research into vehicles that will get us there.
I grew up watching the Apollo space program and shots of astronauts walking on the moon and though I was small, I remember the sense of wonder and amazement as people talked about it. Even in the late seventies and early eighties, people got the wonder and awe back but then it waned. “Oh. Another shuttle taking up experiments or ferrying supplies to the space station.” Everyone wondered when the next step would be taken.
Well, I’m getting into my mid-forties and I’m getting antsy. I would love to see this happen and can’t wait to see the next step. I sometimes wonder if we got too cautious or were we really having a lack of breakthroughs to get us back on the road. Either way, ad astra!
Question: Is the moon the next logical step or should we skip it and move on to bigger and better things? Should we keep our feet planted firmly on Earth and concentration on our problems? Let me know what you think.
Another question: In your lifetime, what is a great achievement that just made you look up in the sky and say with a smile “We did that?”