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Mary Elizabeth Williams, author of Gimme Shelter, shares how her search for the perfect home changed her perspective on love, life and happiness.

Last week, when I was full of tacos and tequila, salsa dancing (ish) late one night in Mexico City, I was struck by a realization. I. Must. Move. Here. I felt a familiar pull to a brand new life in a brand new city, full of exploration and challenges and deep, deep breaths.

I've spent the last year and a half traveling pretty consistently for work, and it's been thrilling. I've been to Greece, Hong Kong, Jamaica, India, Turks & Caicos, Mexico, Spain and a whole bunch of other amazing places. I have had my favourite leather boots stained by milk fresh from a goat on a mountaintop in Crete. I have received a deep tissue massage from a former Mr. Jamaica. I have written about a seemingly endless array of beauty treatments — from thalassotherapy to chocolate body wraps. And I have expanded my eating repetoire to include snake, turtle, crickets, ant eggs, gizzard and pretty much anything else that has been waved under my nose.

Have you ever thought about how where you choose to live affects your happiness? Well, apparently the impact can be sizable — and city dwellers often fare the worst. A recent story by Alice Park over at Time — "Stressed in the City: How Urban Life May Change Your Brain" — explores recent research indicating that urban living leads to greater stress, more mood disorders and more psychotic illnesses. The research indicates that living in a city can actually change how your brain functions, making you more sensitive to fear and anxiety — basically, we're constantly on the lookout for threats when compared to suburban or rural dwellers.