Telling us to obey instinct is like telling us to obey 'people.' People say different things: so do instincts. Our instincts are at war... Each instinct if you listen to it will claim to be gratified at the expense of the rest.
Life affords no higher pleasure than that of surmounting difficulties passing from one step of success to another forming new wishes and seeing them gratified.
Cross-cultural marriage is difficult especially when one person has to live in another country. But I thought there was a very good chance of it working because people grow together if they have a common passion.