Hi Iscashe and welcome to the forum. Please do not be put off by your first venture onto this forum. Like society in general, you will find all sorts on here, some warm and welcoming and some cold and grumpy (and before I get shot down too, that isn't a description of any of the posters on this thread so far!!). Your reasons for wanting to move here are yours alone, but they are not far from what many others would put high on their lists too. But beware the rose-tints as others have said. I came for similar reasons to Rupert (love the travel and adventure), but at the end of the day you have to live here and Australia has it's fair share of problems too. Quoting directly from your OP, one thing I will agree with in both respects is that "life would at least be warmer, if not better, across the globe". Keep posting, this place is a great source of information and some of the posters will make you laugh as well as cry. Good luck.