"The only problem for now is we are perhaps thousands of years...

"The only problem for now is we are perhaps thousands of years away as to travelling at CLOSE to this speed."

In much the same way that the velocity of light does not fall within the realms of you own personal observational ability.

What you will find is the most likely way that we crack interstellar travel is through the creation of a mechanism that falls outside your own personal observation of space itself.

In simple words we will find a way to travel long distances via a short path - like a wormhole (or some other way) where we "change" what we perceive as a "normal distance"

Watch the videos "The Elegant universe" for a detailed explanation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULlR_pkHjUQ