horsecab I think you should go for it. Do the research on jobs, housing, amentiies etc; spend some time there out of season; write a pros and cons list and listen to your gut instinct.

Fear (irrational, justified or otherwise) has grounded me too for more years than I care to count. But enough is enough! I can't continue to let fear hold me back. I'm about to do pretty much the same thing. Except I'm also moving family (who are being iffy about the whole thing!) so I'm looking at housing, schools, jobs etc. It's a mad gamble but the pros definitely outweigh the cons. It's probably madness to embark on such a huge change in my current mental state but staying in my current location (and hence staying still and treading water) will be more damaging for me in the long run. It's a case of beating the fear rather than it beating me.

Sometimes I guess you've just got to say "to hell with it" and give it a go.

All the very best with this