Working In/Around St Maarten
cessna24: First of all, your colleagues are absolutely correct and, I suspect, a little envious of your ambition.
When you say "...I'm working A320's at the mo but I have worked on many smaller a/c ie shorts 330/360, Islanders, Bandits etc...." an obvious question is - are you licenced on them? This will be very important, in order to get a work permit at your desired location you will need to demonstrate that you have a skill/qualification that is not available locally otherwise you'll be percieved to be depriving the local workforce of a job.
You can search the internet for airlines/operators in various geographic areas or you can contact aircraft manufacturers themselves via their local representative offices. It has been my experience that the technical reps in particular like to talk engineer-to-engineer, remember, they were once in your shoes so you already have something in common.
What do I like about living abroad? Just about everything I suppose. It may be easier to say that I don't like winters, going to work in the dark, returning from work in the dark, and I certainly don't like having to put on multiple layers of clothing just to walk to the end of the street.
Once you get to your desired 'paradise' it will be crucial for you to adapt to the local lifestyle, don't expect it to adapt to you. Do not attempt to live your current lifestyle in a foreign location, this is a sure recipe for failure. Live like the locals live, shop where they shop, eat what they eat, relax how they relax. Learn their culture and assimilate. When they see you making these efforts they will warm to you and any fears you may have had, including the very real fear of lonelinees, will vanish. But you have to make the effort.