To me, the happiest places are the ones in Europe where people go out on the town and socialize in the evening. I saw this on a large scale in both Italy and Spain. Everyone seems to know everyone else and the cafes are filled with happy, talkative people.
The older I get, the American habit of spending the evening watching TV (or surfing the web) is pretty bland and empty in comparison.
On the flip side, I know several Asians (Chinese, Korean and Japanese) who fled their home countries because they could not stand the forced after-work socialization rituals. They are very happy to go home, rest & zone out watching TV.
Except for occasions, work, school and sporting events/cultural events, Americans are antisocial.
That’s why any band that can actually make it by touring makes lots of Europe shows, not many US shows.
Freegards