Does place = bliss?

Our ongoing, ever-changing pursuit of happiness will be an important theme in the wise living* / blog. It seems as though recent events have us all looking at what makes us happy through a new, and perhaps, clearer lens. Happiness ebbs and flows with changes in our health, stress level, sleep, goals and relationships – to name just a few. But, how does the place we live contribute to or reduce our overall happiness?

In The Geography of Bliss, author Eric Weiner circles the globe in search of the answer with some expected and, some surprising, results. Some quick examples:

Simplicity = Bliss
Envy = Not Bliss
Gross National Happiness = TBD
Suffering = Not Bliss
Ability to reinvent yourself = Bliss
The next shiny thing = Not Bliss
Cold and dark in Iceland = Bliss
High and diverse in Amsterdam = Not Bliss