I had lived in Maine for 20 years after leaving Connecticut in my twenties. It had become my home and I truly loved living there. Then I found myself in a dark place and needed to find myself again. I left the beauty of Maine to return to the family of my childhood in Connecticut. I began missing Maine and its simple beauty. Then I met an amazing woman and we married soon after.
I found then after a few years of marriage that Maine hadn’t left me. On returning from a vacation there, I became emotional and it hurt to leave. I sat with this for quite a while. Then the first realization happened. I truly had a choice. Did I choose to remain married and living in Connecticut where we had begun to build a life, or return to Maine alone?
I found that I truly love my wife much more than Maine. It was still difficult to think of life there, the simplicity and easiness in Maine was addictive. Then, I experienced my second realization (or revelation?) We began traveling. We visited Arizona, Florida, California and recently Spain. It hit me like a ton of bricks. Maine was an idea. There are so many amazing places in the world that gave me a taste of awe and desire.
We returned from our trip to Spain and I understood so completely that life is entirely what you make it. It is not a place. It is not an ultimate destination that will bring happiness. I truly believe that if I had moved back to Maine, in the end, I would have become as miserable as the day I had left it. Making a life here with a woman that truly loves me is far more important than a lovely coastline or a small town.
The Journey of a thousand miles 
I’m not used to replying on a blog so I hope this goes the right way but I agree with you Donnie. I believe that what you alluded to is what Albert Ellis taught all of his life. That it’s not the activating event that causes us negative or positive emotional consequences, it is our belief systems and how we perceive the activating event. Merry Christmas
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