Hi...thanks for the links and the replies 
Yes, I've read those threads and came to the conclusion that a lot
of people left / want to leave because of push factors. I must
admit, I felt (feel?) the same way too...
However, after lots of contemplation, leaving because of push
factors alone doesn't seem right. It's almost like running away
from one's problems. So I think I need to "re-engineer" my core
motivation - I must want something else as opposed to not want
something.
I am probably at the halfway point in my life and originally
started to think about the move due to frustrations with certain
things here. Please don't get me wrong, there are plenty of merits
of living here. The usual list comes to mind...safety, great food,
convenience, family, friends, familiarity, etc. Yet, these factors
did not weigh enough to counter my frustrations. So the genesis of
my initial thoughts was push. I am now looking at the pull...
My shortlisting process for a new destination was semi-systematic.
I took a clean piece of paper and wrote down places I would not
mind living. I have traveled quite a bit so the list was
extensive.
Then I narrowed it down using factors like crime / drug levels,
cultural issues, taxation, cost of living etc. I ended up with 5
countries....not in order of preference: Australia, NZ, UK,
Thailand and Malaysia. I've spent quite a bit of time in each of
these countries already for work / pleasure.
Strange list you might think. I think so too because they are all
very different. UK is pleasant but expensive, Thailand is
affordable but culturally different, Malaysia is culturally similar
but look at their crime rates, etc. They all offer something
different. Hence my current confusion. I need to be able to
articulate the pull factors clearly or else I will just be
"running" away as opposed to running towards.
I am not worried about economic viability because I am confident I
will be able to get a job / do some small business wherever I
decide to settle. I have enough savings to cover a year or two of
expenses wherever I decide to go to.
My apologies for posting this "repeat" thread. Maybe I was having
wishful thinking that someone would be able to crystallize the
essence of such a big decision but after reading all the threads,
it looks like it means so many different things to different people
