Have you ever been in a situation where you had to make a decision or choice that could be very positive in one respect but potentially harmful if it didn't go as planned?
Yes I have been and in many, to the point that I no longer plan so much my sense of life because it involves both sides with success or failure, getting out of the comfort zone or staying comfortable ...they are opportunities and experiences and when they are taken on the fear of uncertainty is present.
Right now I am in that in leaving my country or staying...the time to decide the new script in my life story is my ally, of what will come, wanting more life and health .... Certainly, I return to the confidence that all will be well, that my power of choice fills me with opportunities and that it places everything in its space and time.
In the case of your friend, he found a reliable answer from you Mr. Galen, your good friend, your active listening, friendship, and accompaniment that is a big plus to moving forward in making the decision.
There's a time to plan and a time not to I guess, the trick is knowing when to use either method. The decision to leave or stay in your current country is a huge decision indeed and I'd imagine there's so many things to consider. I hope you manage to find the right choice, and if you make the wrong one, I hope you make other decisions that help you deal with it. That's the thing really, we all make good and bad decisions, but either way we have to live with them.