Thought Experiment #2 - You Have to Leave Your Current Country - 5 years - Can't Take Job With You

My last thought experiment was easy - had to leave for 1 year, but you could take your job your job with you. 

This time, I'm cranking up the difficulty a few clicks. 

You've got to leave your current country for 5 years. 

You can't take your job with you. This includes any job your partner might be doing. 

You can take your skills, your connections, your networking, your income from a rental back home, but you have to quit your job before leaving. 

Basically - you're starting over in a new country. 

Bonus points for discussion on whether you'd rent vs buy (housing), if you'd apply for citizenship, etc.

Are we assuming you have valid travel visas and work permits for wherever you want to go?  Most places don't allow you to stay long term without proof you can support yourself.

If yes, I would love to go to New Zealand and pull pints for a couple years.  Get a cheap car for weekend trips, ride my bike to work, and just have a decent time in a new place for a couple years with low stress.  Rent because housing is nuts over there, apply for dual citizenship if they'd have me. 

I am going to either assume or propose that it be on a permanent resident permit such as I have in Canada. This entitles me to all of the rights of a Canadian  including healthcare, except I cant vote or hand a Canadian passport to the hijackers.

Not much would change for me compared to the first thread. I have a portable and flexible set of skills that will let me survive from dishwasher to project manager. I would look for a Spanish speaking culture because it would be fun to re-immerse myself in a language that I spoke every day until I was 13. 

Since I am retired with a retirement income in place, I would not need to generate much local income. I would however need to do something to become immersed in the local social scene, so either car stuff or a job; same thing really.

What needs to be addressed is how the spouse would deal with this. Has only moved one block since the day she ws born and never left the province until she met me. Elderly parents complicate this if I look at the full picture. Children and grandkids do not.

Surprisingly Italy and Australia manufacture a lot of hoses in the Industrial world.  

Since my Italian is based on my Dad's limited swear words I guess I'm going to work in Customer Service for Ryco or Pirtek in Adelaide or Melbourne as I have contacts from Pirtek there.  I was buying parts from them the past 9 years for Progress Rail. 

My expectations of living quarters will be low - studio apartment and the cheapest used car we can find.  Wife will need to work in retail.  Kids are adults so they'll survive.