Gareth, as a man who is twice your age and who has never long term "coupled" successfully I can testify that each course has both benefits and costs. What looks like a reasonable "way out" now is permanent but it's possible that the loneliness isn't. Finding a way to serve the endless people who need real help can bring connection and joy to your life. Finding a way to spend time in the wild can feed your spirit. Finding a way to restore something of real worth that has been broken or degraded can bring meaning. There's never a guarantee that a relationship will last, will bring meaning or joy...so many people long to be out of their relationships, even though those relationships look great from the outside looking in.

You can find something that makes life worth living, you can't undo some other actions.