The last time I picked up and moved countries I was only 28 years old, so that might be one reason why it was easier - when you're young it seems you can just go out, cast everything off and head out into the wide world to explore. Whereas it seems harder now.
But another big reason I realised today is that when I moved that time, it wasn't a choice between continuing the status quo and doing something new. There was no status quo. I was done with my Ph.D. and the university had cast us out - we all had to do something new, it was just a matter of what. This time I could perfectly well have stayed on here, doing the same things forever in the same settled way. This time my choice was between a status quo and a new unknown.
And this might why the people are so much more upset this time. In rejecting my settled status quo for this unknown thing, I am rejecting them. "Anything but this," my choice might be saying to them, "Even the snowy culturally barren midwest that I don't even know would be better than hanging around you people."
It's not like that at all, but maybe because there is a status quo this time it would seem like that to the people I'm leaving.
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