So what is stopping the rest?

For most, I imagine, it is money. After all, if you are rich enough to live where you want, and can come and go at will, then the world is your oyster.

Most of us are not in that liberating position. Instead, we have to find a way to fund this dream life overseas.

Which is where the challenges start. Questions crop up like …

• Am I eligible for a working visa?
• Will my qualifications be recognised?
• What job can I get?
• How much will it pay?
• Can I get my business idea off the ground?
• What hoops will I have to jump through?
• Is there local demand?

There can be so much uncertainty about making your relocation financially viable that I think many people just give up on the idea.

Seems a shame, doesn’t it?

If any of this has happened to you then Megan Fitzgerald, an expat career and personal branding coach, would love to hear from you. She is conducting a poll of current and aspiring expats to find the answer to an intriguing question: what is the biggest obstacle to building a successful career abroad?

The poll’s findings will reveal the most common problems people face, and hopefully offer some useful insights into how to overcome them.

To take part in the poll go to http://linkd.in/i9pnWY.

Related posts:

1. Should I Stay or Should I Go? Tips on Becoming an Expat
2. Career Abroad or Life at Home?
3. The Beauty of a Portable Career

Are there certain days when your cat or dog is more irritable than others? Do creatures in the wild go through mood swings? Or is it just humans?

I ask because I read this week about Cathal Morrow, an author living in Madrid. Back in June he embarked on a quest to live for a year without unhappiness, in an attempt to prove happiness is merely a state of mind.

As he writes on his blog, http://imhappyandiknowit.com/:

“What I’m attempting to live is my belief that happiness is entirely independent of the highs and lows of my little life, that it’s far bigger than me. That happiness is a permanent state for us all, if only we allow it to be.”

Being happy. We’re all looking for it, aren’t we?

Yet that appears to be the root of the problem. We’re searching for it, as if happiness is a destination that will be reached once we’ve got X, Y and Z in place.

Thanksgiving

It’s an important issue, brought into focus by this week’s Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States.

While it began as a festival giving thanks for the year’s harvest, Thanksgiving has since developed into a more general expression of gratitude.

And therein lies Mr Morrow’s secret to happiness – a determination to see the everyday brightness in life and be happy for it.

Seeking a better life

Which brings me to moving abroad.

Why is it so many people around the world – including millions of citizens in some of the most prosperous countries on the planet – want to relocate elsewhere?

For most people the interest is spurred by a desire to find a “better life,” whatever their definition may be.

Many are stirred by the potential benefits they hope to find by relocating – better weather, more leisure opportunities, lower living costs, attractive employment openings. Others see moving abroad as an escape from the unfulfilled lives they are living in their current location.

Finding Happiness

However, this desire for movement is not necessarily the path to happiness.

Yes, moving abroad can lead to a healthier, happier, richer life. But switching one country for another won’t by itself be enough. Ultimately it is an internal shift, rather than the external one, that leads to happiness and fulfilment.

Hence the importance of gratitude.

Rather than think about the things that are wrong with our lives, we should devote more attention to the things that are right.

It could be your health, or the health of your partner or children, the love of family, laughter with friends, the joy of a sunrise or waves on the beach, thanks for the food you have to eat.

Which isn’t to say you shouldn’t want to improve your current situation. It is human nature, one of the driving forces of evolution. But by stopping to give conscious thanks for those daily blessings we too often take for granted, the chances are you will be a happier person, wherever in the world you happen to find yourself.

Who could ask for a better life than that?

Related posts:

1. Your Moving Abroad Location Checklist
2. Is Your Family Ready for Your Move Abroad?
3. Good Housekeeping Article on Moving Abroad

The rise of the budget airlines, and the need for other travel operators to slash prices to compete, means moving overseas is no longer the one-way journey of old.

Instead, expats within a short-haul flight of home have suddenly been able to afford to pop back for regular weekends to catch up with family and friends. And those who relocated to another continent can make their annual pilgrimage home without needing an investment banker’s salary or a second mortgage.

For those expats flying to or from the UK though, the November 1 rise in Air Passenger Duty (APD) may shift the balance.

The new rates mean a family of four flying from the UK to Europe will pay £48 in APD when travelling economy class. For journeys to the US the family will be charged £240, to the Caribbean or South Africa £300, and to fly to Australia it will cost them £340 in tax (a rise of 55%).

Add in the actual cost of the ticket, plus the inevitable wad of spending money, and face-to-face contact with old friends and family looks a lot less appealing.

Related posts:

1. Expats Top Concerns When Moving Abroad
2. Moving Abroad for Love
3. The World’s Best Expat Locations?

Today though I saw an article on the BBC News website about band member Nadine Coyle, discussing the release of her first solo album, Insatiable[1].

Not that I’ll be dashing out to buy it. But what did interest me were the references she made in the interview to her family.

A native of Northern Ireland, since finding fame Nadine has moved to Los Angeles. Crucially, her parents and siblings also went with her. Together they now run a bar, Nadine’s Irish Mist, on the Pacific Coast Highway at Sunset Beach.

Her family, she said in the BBC interview, are at the centre of her world, providing her with the foundations she needs to build her career and achieve success.

Yet for many people who move abroad, leaving family behind is the sacrifice they must make to fulfil those dreams of a life overseas.

Which is most important? Is it your family and friends, who will give you the necessary support from which all else becomes possible? Or is relocating abroad the key to achieving your personal and career goals, and finding happiness?

It’s a tough choice … unless, like Nadine, you can get all your nearest and dearest to come with you!

Related posts:

1. Thanksgiving and the Search for Happiness Abroad
2. Moving Abroad for Love
3. Should I Stay or Should I Go? Tips on Becoming an Expat

Ms Menke reportedly died from heat stroke while hiking in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park on Monday. The day saw temperatures in the city climb to a record-breaking 113°F (46°C). Tuesday was cooler, reaching a high of 99°F, but that was still 17 degrees more than is normal for the time of year.

To make matters worse, the record demand for electricity as people turned up their air conditioning caused outages that left 11,000 Los Angeles residents without power.

Seeking Better Weather

You couldn’t get much more of a contrast with the weather hitting northern Europe at the moment. In the UK, we woke up this morning to cloud and heavy rain showers. More is forecast for the rest of the week.

And with October just around the corner we can hardly expect an improvement. Nope, autumn – with its shortening, squally days – has well-and-truly taken hold.

Faced with such weather conditions, moving to somewhere that promises year-round sunshine, short winters and long, guaranteed summers has an obvious appeal. No wonder places such as California, Australia and the countries of Southern Europe are so popular with expatriates.

But a life in the sun can brings its discomforts, as LA’s population can attest. And as Ms Menke’s tragic death shows, it has its dangers too.

Related posts:

1. What Quality of Life Can You Expect Abroad?
2. Ryder Cup Showcases Life in Britain
3. Wet and Wild: Big Weather Around the World

How can you earn the money necessary to give you the lifestyle you crave? Do you plan to transfer within your existing company, or apply for new jobs? Would you like to set up your own business, or offer services as some form of freelance contractor?

For anyone confronting these issues it is well worth seeking the advice of a professional, someone who can help clarify your ideas and guide you in the right career direction.

One such person is CNNMoney.com-featured career coach Megan Fitzgerald, the founder of Career By Choice. An expat herself, with over 15 years experience in career and business development, Megan specialises in helping current and aspiring expatriate professionals and entrepreneurs to build a satisfying career or business that allows them to get the most out of their life abroad.

Megan has just interviewed me on the pros and cons of moving overseas for her website. You can check out the resulting article, Expat Success Tips: Should I Stay or Should I Go? The Choice of Becoming an Expat, at http://bit.ly/cIOjNw.

Hope you find it interesting.

Related posts:

1. What’s your biggest obstacle to building a successful career abroad?
2. The Beauty of a Portable Career
3. Expat Book: The Long and Winding Road

For me, the World Cup is the big treat. Once every four years I get to feast on a daily banquet of football, and if I’m lucky some of it may even prove sumptuous.

But alongside the games there is a more serious side to this year’s tournament. I don’t know what the coverage is like in other countries, but in Britain the matches have been followed by reports on what impact the World Cup is having on South Africa, and the problems there that still need tackling.

These short insights offer an eye-opening comparison between the footballer haves, and the country’s millions of have-nots. More importantly, it reminds me of what I have and how fortunate I am, and but for a fate of birth how different life could be.

For most of us expats and prospective expats moving abroad is about pursuing the dream of a better life. Nothing wrong with that. Still, at times it’s worth remembering what we have already, and being thankful for it.

Related posts:

1. Football: The Way to a Nation’s Heart
2. Agassi’s Open Secrets to Living Abroad
3. Air Fare Rises Hit Expats

According to the research, this year an incredible 75% of Britons have considered moving abroad. The main reason for wanting to go was the economy (cited by 31% of respondents), followed by 23% who pointed to poor job prospects at home.

Most popular target destinations were found to be Australia, then Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Spain, France and Thailand.

The last such survey conducted by Currency UK was in 2005. That one reported a much more moderate 25% of respondents were considering leaving Britain.

Sounds terrible doesn’t it, as if the country has really gone to the dogs in the last five years, and a mass exodus is imminent. Maybe. But I have a couple of cautionary observations:

1)      Survey results are fallible. The outcome depends on the question asked, and so it is easy to skew the response according to how the query is phrased. So 75% is probably an over-inflation of the number of people seriously considering emigration.

2)      What the survey does highlight is a link between expatriation and current fears about the UK’s economy. In other words, things seem bad at home, so let’s move abroad. But this is to overlook the fact that similar – if not worse – problems are happening elsewhere.

Moving abroad is too-often seen as a panacea – offering an escape from all the woes of life at home, and the prospect of sun-filled, carefree days ahead. But it’s essential to be realistic. Recognize there are both pros and cons to living overseas, and make an informed decision on that basis.

The chances of finding happiness – whether at home or abroad – then become a lot higher.

Related posts:

1. British Summer
2. Expats Top Concerns When Moving Abroad
3. European Quality of Life Advantages Called Into Question

Of course, the right to have an equal voice in the governance and future direction of your country should be a source of pride, something to be celebrated and embraced. Let’s not forget what life would be like without it, as many people around the world have to endure. Be grateful, and exercise that privilege.

Unfortunately, elections also have a flip side.

There is all the negativity: the schoolyard name calling and finger pointing that so often characterises the grab for votes.

There is the veneer politicians put on their campaigns, for fear some small blemish, some sign of human frailty, might wreck their electoral hopes. With that comes a tendency to rewrite history, for politicians to claim that all the decisions they have taken – or would have taken, if they don’t happen to be in government – have improved the country, while their opponents’ ones have been a disaster.

Worse, I think, are the overblown promises for the future. “Vote for me and we will have huge and sustainable economic growth, a wonderful education system, transformed healthcare, no crime, a clean environment, congestion-free roads, great public transport, bounteous pensions …”

Unfortunately, the underlying message each time an election comes around is that the country in question has gone to the dogs, but that a gilded future is on the horizon.

As I read expat forums and articles on emigration, or talk to people considering a move abroad, I see a similar mindset: “My country is on the road to ruin and so I’m getting out to someplace where the sun always shines and all my problems will be solved.”

Instead, we need a balanced, honest approach to the debate – both political and expatriate. The situation isn’t all terrible now, and won’t be perfect when we change government/country.

We should recognise, and strive to appreciate, the good we have at the moment, as well as being open-eyed to what needs changing. And we should have hope for a better future, without pinning it on some quick and easy fix.

For changing political leader, or your country, isn’t the magic answer. One cross on a piece of paper or a new stamp in the passport won’t solve everything. We must bear that responsibility ourselves – to make our lives better, wherever we choose to lead them.

Related posts:

1. Migration and the UK Coalition
2. Your Moving Abroad Location Checklist
3. Immigration and the UK’s Population Growth

So what are your priorities?

Most of us – myself included – get batted around like a pinball from one activity to the next. Our days are spent finishing up that urgent project at work for which the boss is breathing down our necks … seeing to the needs of our kids … phoning parents to check how they are … dashing to the shops to pick up a last-minute birthday present.

We go to bed exhausted, only to get up tomorrow and do it all over again. Lives spent scuttling from one weekend to the next, firefighting whatever today’s most pressing need happens to be.

But what about that life you’d really like to be leading? The one you keep nestled somewhere close to your heart?

We all have one, don’t we? That ‘if I won the Lottery …’ vision of how things would be in a perfect world. Where you’d like to live. How you’d like to spend your time. And with whom. The long-term dream.

Making that vision reality though takes consistent action, and time. Progressive, daily steps. And to do anything on a daily basis means prioritising.

It’s something with which I still struggle. But by persevering it’s starting to pay off. In fact I’m feeling pretty good, for I’ve finally finished revising and proofing the print version of my book on the pros and cons of moving abroad. It is now with the printer, the last step before public release next week!

It’s not been easy mind.

As with so many other people around the world, it’s been a tough 18 months.

The financial crisis has forced me to scramble for work like never before. And outside of the long work hours are my commitments as a husband and father.

As a result, it’s not always easy to find time to do the ‘non-urgent’ writing I really want, the books and screenplays that one day I hope will be my full-time occupation.

I realised though that unless I made the time, prioritised the writing in my day, it would never get done. And my dreams of being an author would go the same way.

It’s the same in all aspects of life. We all have to find time to pursue our dreams, whatever they are.

If you want to learn the piano it’s never going to happen unless you sit at the keyboard on a regular basis – preferably every day – and hammer out the notes.

How are you ever going to get your golf handicap down if you don’t go to the driving range, or get out on the course?

Ditto moving abroad. There may never be a great time to up-sticks. There are always other financial pressures, kids about to change schools, new job promotions in the offing. Valid obstacles that keep you from taking action, from grabbing that life you want.

But that’s the choice you must make. You have to seize the moment – take the requisite steps, however small, and make progress. Without it, your life will never become what you want it to be.

Related posts:

1. Expat Living By the Book
2. What’s your biggest obstacle to building a successful career abroad?
3. Searching for a Better Life Abroad?