So, it's great the author has recognized they are unhappy, but "heading to the mountains because I had good experiences there" seems like terrible decision making.

The "happiness trifecta" still seems to be a sense of purpose, autonomy, and expertise. Money just helps remove stressors.

I'd like to see more stories of people working to open a path in a system where it didn't exist before. Like, "how I carved out a new position at this huge company that gave be a better sense of why I do what I do". Everyone tends to think they need to go to a small place to have a big impact, but I think you can bend the world wherever you are a bit if you know how to define the targets, and get there slowly, one day at a time.

Big career changes are sometimes worth it, though I wouldn't follow this guy's lead. I found this experience from a woodworker who left architecture much more interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQoqGPnRLbU