an important conversation

A few years ago, when I was working in Beijing I had an important conversation with my cousin. Who is my cousin? Well, He’s one year younger than me. We were both born and raised in a peaceful village in southern China. And we’ve become good friends since our childhood, so I know him like the back the my hand, and vice versa.
In those days, after my son had been born, I was rather confused. I had no idea whether I should go on working in that first-tier city. I needed somebody who could discuss these issues with me. The first person who came into my mind was my best friend, I mean my cousin.
He asked how I was feeling about the life in Beijing, and what my life was like. I told him that even though I was earning a decent salary, I had always been under a lot of stress over the past few years. He also asked me if I wanted to move to another Chinese city (?). I said no. So he suggested I should consider immigrating to another country.
I finally followed his advice. That’s why I have been preparing for the ielts test for the past a couple years, aiming to move to a developed country. And I am determined never to give up my dream.