I've spent more than half my life abroad, mostly in the Middle East but also in East Asia and have travelled a lot.

If you are truly looking to emigrate there are a few things I might suggest considering:

What are the most important things about your life at the moment that you can't take with you? Friends, family, job etc. Can you live without them or would you want to come back now and again to visit? If so, living somewhere (relatively) near is pretty vital. I have no idea what sort of money you have saved up but living a long way away is difficult if you are leaving family. Not just the potential cost to travel back occasionally but time difference etc just makes communication really hard and may make it more challenging than you expect to settle in (as well as family to be ok with having you gone).

Can you live without the things you use everyday or do you want to find somewhere that offers the same quality/convenience of life? Cost of living is normally cheaper elsewhere but if you are attached to things you miss in the UK then this really sucks your bank account dry.

Have you ever stayed abroad for more than a few months at a time previously? I would suggest visiting and staying in a potential destination before committing to living there permanently. Some cultures and people are amazing but can get under your skin, combined with missing things you take for granted here, it can be a really challenge. For example, I have worked in Sri Lanka a couple times and while I love the people and really appreciate the country, I would never live there as there are just too many little cultural difference which drive me up the wall.

While there is a lot to consider, there are so many amazing places out there that could well make a much better home for you than the UK, I would not have changed my previous choices to live and work elsewhere and I will definitely live abroad again in the future.

You are absolutely right, even my experience living abroad is now 'out of date', I just wanted to make sure I mentioned it. I've had a friend move back recently from New Zealand, while he had anticipated visiting home once a year it just wasn't enough for him and he decided to just come back.

It's not really the money that is the problem, as far as keeping in touch, if you're committed to it you'll do it, but distance does have a way of making things harder to just find the time.

I would completely agree that now is maybe the easiest it's ever been to live away from loved ones and will probably only get easier.

I never shagged enough Scandinavians......It's a personal regret that I have had to learn to live with.

I'm sure you understand my pain.

Edited by Stirlingsays (23 Jan 2019 11.23pm)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

The Maple produces seeds that fly out like little helicopters. That is also how my wisdom may be perceived

Oh dear

I was hoping for a response that was either imaginative or amusing.