The long climb into FO....

Wanted to get some opinions/suggestions here about getting into trade. 

I'm in my mid-thirties, and have been in the financial industry almost my entire career - I love the industry, I started investing in stocks when I was 13, and featured in Fortune when I was 14 for a 'young investor' piece.   I digress. 

I f'd around in high school and ended at a non-target, primarily because I stopped caring. I actually took a bunch of college classes while HS and then thought HS was a bunch of nonsense I didn't need -- it turned out that joke was on me.  Anyway, after undergrad I started working in the HF space, first in BO fund accounting, then moved to MO where I was also the back-up for the trader (sat on the trading desk, was a small shop focused on distressed debt).  After about 7 years I went back to school for a masters in stats - I wasn't sure where I wanted to go or do so this was broad enough I thought. 

So bringing us to present day, I currently work in capital markets, which I guess is considered FO, and specifically I work in the alternative investments / ABS / structured products space. I'd love to get into trading, and I'd be open to any desk but given my background something on the debt side might be 'easiest'.  I have strong financial product knowledge as well as strong programming (python) skills.  Anyone have recommendations or suggestions for breaking into trading.  

Thanks in advance. 

PS: My current company doesn't have a trading desk, so I can't network/apply internally. .