Happy Place

I have several places to which I refer to as my "Happy Place". A happy place is somewhere that, no matter what is going on my life, everything always seems to be right with the world. An overwhelming sense of peace, calm, blissfulness, and good fortune envelopes me with a warm and fuzzy embrace when I'm at a happy place.

This weekend I got to spend a few hours in one of my happy places, the patio at the Longhorn Pub in Whistler. My time there caused me to reflect on all the different happy places I have.

The Longhorn Pub: When I'm here, it means I'm in Whistler. When I'm in Whistler, it means I have just finished an awesome mountain bike ride or trail run. That means I've just spent some time outdoors, where I love to be, in an almost meditative-like state enjoying the fresh air and exercise. Not to mention, sitting on the patio means great people watching, and in the summer also means watching the action in the Boneyard (the bottom of the Whistler mountain bike park).

A little chilly out, but still loving the Longhorn Patio.

The Hula Grill: Maui. Beachfront. No floor, just sand. Live music. Ukeleles. Hula dancers. The gentle scent of plumeria wafting by. The sound of waves lapping against the shore. Excellent pina coladas. Need I say more?

Any outdoor lane pool: I love swimming in outdoor pools. The water feels different; I don't know if it's the sun filtering through and the light reflecting off every surface, or really what the magic ingredient is. It may also mean that I am somewhere warm enough to justify an outdoor lane pool. It's also an exponential happy place if it's 50 meters.

Disneyland: Jason and I have what may be an unhealthy obsession with Disneyland. You may as well throw Disneyworld into the equation as well. Even though the rides are fairly tame, they are fun. The place is clean. The atmosphere is jovial. The expensive foods, the crowds, the family fights, they don't take away from my enjoyment. While it may not actually be the happiest place on Earth, I'm sure it's up there on the countdown.

Vancouver Island west coast beaches: The west coast of the island is a magical, mystical place. Often shrouded in fog, the grey sky melds with the grey water, which is bordered by dark green trees and charcoal rocks. It always seems to have an untamed peacefulness and serenity about it, even during the harshest of winter storms. In fact, the theme for the interior of our house took inspiration from the Tofino area, with greys, greens, stone and wood.

How would the world change if we all had happy places of our own? How would the world change if we could all spend more time in our happy places?