One of the most interesting topics to hit this forum in a while. Well done, KM.
My contribution would be that your particular lifestyle has a lot to do with it. Having just been faced with this question, we decided that, if required, we would not leave Oz to pursue aviation, but I would make a career change. Not too scary, as I have another interest I've always wanted to have a go at anyway, and have also had a pretty good run through most facets of aviation. Even if it was for more money, on our mathematics, the extra wasn't worth it to pay for things we get here for free.
Influencing this was our own particular lifestyle choices. They're simply unavailable in any convenient way in many of the other locations, and we don't want to have to get on an aircraft to pursue them, nor do I want to wait for retirement. Yet other friends with with different personal interests have found those interests just as available in other countries, with the exoticness adding a whole new dimension. So they are eminently suited to making the move.
Of course, it doesn't need to be said that security, values, and a desire to live in the community we'll retire in, are a very big part as well. I surely want me and mine to rub shoulders with that global communtiy, and we will, we'll just keep the domicile here in the sunburnt land. Come retirement/career change, undoubtably I'll be of a lesser fiscal stature than some of my other collegues. That's cool. Being rich is about more than just money. I can see where some of the DJ guys are coming from.
So to tackle the original question - what's it worth? I think it's a time vs money equation. I'd do it for a short while for free, just for the fun. The longer I went, the more I'd want. If had a long term eighteen wheeler command, with commensurate renumeration, up to a couple of years would be fine, chasing the lolly. After that, it's a diminishing return. Might be better to stick around on half the money, and not be robbed of the intrinsic things.
But that's just my opinion.
Cheers to all.
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