[SlowToady]

I got an interesting phone call the other day, and haven't really been able to put it out of my mind. It involves major life changes, and has the (quite likely) potential to be quite profitable. Without getting in to too many specifics, let me say.....

The father of a friend of my owns a business in a (slowly...) developing 3rd world country that is doing quite well (think cash flow) due to it being a large tourist attraction, and a sort of haven for locals. He also owns large pieces of desirable real estate in what many would consider to be "paradise." I've known the family for a pretty good amount of time, and his son and I are very close. My friend and I used to talk all the time about "taking over the family business" when we got older, with much encouragement from his father. Fast forward to the phone call I got. Dad's father is looking to retire, and the day to day stress of running (multiple) businesses is no longer as attractive as it was --afterall, he's rich, by almost anyones standards, lives in paradise and basically has fulfilled every goal he's had. He's set. He's decided to retire to his property on the island, and wants to keep the businesses in the family; he offered the restaurant, house, and other business to my friend (the son). All he has to do is go down there and run things, with dad showing him the ropes. Now comes my phone call. Friend calls me, says "our time" has come, and tells me about the offer...and then says he wants me there with him, as his business partner.

Now, some background on me...I'm young (21), should be graduating from University next year with a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science, and quite ambitious. I've also known since a young age I want to work for myself, and sort of..how would you say...break out of the "average" mold. I don't want to work in a cubicle, making some other guy rich. The thought of being another nameless, faceless, cog in the anonymous American corporate machine is pretty depressing. I want to do something different. I want to carve out a different path. Like I said, I'll be graduating pretty soon, and am either thinking about Law School or grad. school. But now this offer has come along, to move thousands of miles away with a very good friend, hitting the ground running in a profitable business that is more or less limited only by our talent and ambition.

Basically, this is one of those once in a life time chances. A chance to do something different. A chance at living a life that I probably couldn't duplicate in the states, and certainly not at such a young age. A chance at an education that school could never give. Of course, there is also the chance of dismal failure, but then again, there's also the chance I could get hit by a car on my way to class tomorrow.

How do you make decisions like this? Obviously I realize I'd be leaving behind just about everything I know, for something completely foreign (in more ways than one). But then I think about the kids that come here from abroad. Like the father that came here from the same country I'd be going to, at age 16. And, like I said, this is a big opportunity. Hit the ground running in a profitable business? Live in paradise? If I go, I would definitely wait until I finished college, in case Something Bad Happens I'll have something to fall back on.

Any advice PPOT?