They say ” Where ever you go there you are”. So it doesn’t matter where on the planet you are, you can be happy or not, the place isn’t the important part. Chasing after (clinging to) what you think is good, ( positive emotional responses) and avoiding what you think is bad, (negative emotional responses) causes you to not see things as they really are (That is called “delusion” in Buddhist thought).
You can feel fully, all of it and not cling to any of it (That is wisdom). You can be awake to the moment, accept things as they are and make conscious choices that bring good results rather than choices based on deluded thinking, preconceptions and negative emotions that do not bring good results. A benefit of feeling fully, being here now, is experiencing compassion. Compassion rises naturally when you let go and are centered in the here and now. That said, it is not an easy path. We fool ourselves all the time, make mistakes and experience pain. This is a journey and there is much more to it than we think at any given moment. So, this living in the moment and letting go is a constant practice, never ends. You are part of the interdependent network of life and each moment offers you yet another opportunity to be happy with things just as they are.
Nature has been my temple, my retreat and I feel so essentially part of it that I can not feel but joy at being alive no matter where I am or how bad things are going. Because I am part of this great interdependent universe. My joy comes not from any one experience but from life itself. May all beings be happy!