Last week, I wrote about Outside magazine's Best Places to Work feature for those searching for a workplace that values the right work-life balance. Another option is breaking out of your own home territory. If you don't love where you live, but you can't cut the ties to an office paycheck just yet, you might consider relocating to a place where you feel like you're on vacation—even when you're punching the clock.

Michele Meyer did just that. Drawn to Hawaii since her first visit as a teenager, she yearned to live there as an adult. A copy editor at Yahoo!, she figured out how she could convince her manager to let her move to Hawaii and continue working remotely. After things changed and she was faced with the choice of moving back to the home office to keep her job, or stay in Hawaii—she decided to stay put. "I found that once I left, I didn't want to go back," said Meyer.

Since then, she's worked to help other folks who love the island lifestyle. Her blog, How to Live in Hawaii, gives practical tips on the local lingo, what it's like to live in Hawaii, and where the jobs are. She's taken her own experiences and used them to help others who consider moving to Hawaii.

Your surroundings are a big part of what makes you happy. If mountains move you, or the beach is where you'd love to live, consider making it happen. When you do ultimately make the long-term travel move, it'll feel that much better returning to a home you love.