There are obstacles to living abroad. But you know, its not as hard as you might think to live and work abroad if you are able to develop relationships in these countries or find forms of work that suit you. In my 'wonderings' I have come across people who find work abroad by doing different things. Consider the following:
1. Selling: I write books about buying property. Such book publishing allow me to live anywhere in the world because my store front is online.
2. Consulting is another activity that allows you to work anywhere in the world if you deal with your clients online.
3. Strategic career opportunities: There are certain jobs like doctors, nurses and teachers who are in strong demand around the world if you have decent qualifications.
4. Service jobs like teaching English, builders, trades jobs and tattoo artistry are also jobs that you can find if you travel. Generally though in these cases you need to tap into the informal economy, but consider this: In a large city like Tokyo, you can be sure there is a need for computer support services for all the English expatriates living there, because there are thousands there looking for a good deal who are getting ripped off because they don't speak Japanese, or have support. In such cases, forums offer support for most, but forums only offer limited support.
Different countries have different rules for staying in the country. i.e. Consider that the Philippines probably has the most liberal immigration laws. You can stay there 18 months before having to leave the country, but you pay around $30/month to extend your visa. Other than that, they care less what you do. In Japan, its a 90-day tourist visa, and hard otherwise to get a business or working visa unless you are sponsored. Having said that, you can fly to China or Korea every 90 days (3mths) if that suits you, or you can commute from another place and just stay the 90 days in gaijin houses (i.e. Short stay accommodation).
The intention of this strategy is to buy accommodation in different countries at the low-end of the market so that I can live a flexible and interesting life as a tourist. This is why a $28,000 dormitory in Japan appeals, with a $300/year rates bill, a $US55,000 house in a depopulating NZ regional city, rates a little pricey at $1700/year, or you can go a house in much of the USA for $80-120K. We also have a place and land in the Philippines.
This is truly a period of great flexibility thanks to technology. I would not equate this however with freedom. No country recognises your personal sovereignty, and no government functions on the basis of rationality as the standard of value. Under democratic tyranny of the 'populist' majority, we spread our assets widely. This is why grasslands are so prevalent. Their spores are basically blowing around the world. We like to travel light in a world of arbitrary government. Yes, that might sound a little tragic, but living a life of slavery to some over-priced, statutorily or artificially priced house is crazy. I don't own a house in Australia, my home country because with the average house costing 11.6x the average income in Sydney, I think I should be living in Japan, NZ or USA, where I can live in a decent place for 2-3 times earnings. Personally, I wish people would think so we can end this tyranny, but since we have a system of wealth extortion based on 'universal ignorance and passivity', I prefer to travel. If you are wondering where this ends up, it is either:
1. A life of repression - Japan is the model we are drifting towards - where you are all zombies entertained by mindless concrete, frivolities like alcohol, sex, etc.
2. A intellectual life - A form of meritocracy which does not yet exist, where economies grow at 16% per annum because they are not constrained by centralised government; which are not overtly materialistic because the people's intellectual sovereignty has been oppressed. In a world where ideas matter because there is a free market for them, as opposed to the statutorily regulated 'parliament' which has political parties act as gatekeepers. But you go on pretending you live in free countries because you are given some pretense of it. More on this matter at our politics blog.
