Everything is coming up roses for us here. Moving to a great place, paychecks, cute car, new furniture, dream school for WBoy, grandparents willing to watch WGirl twice a week…. Roses.
But when people say, “You must be so excited” (and I hear this often), I think “Happy, grateful, absolutely. Excited? Hmmm.” I am so grateful for our good luck and I know that we will be happy here. We can slow down, admire our wonderful kids, eat great ethnic foods, just appreciate all we have.
But looking at pics from last fall in Thailand I can’t help but envy that girl with the stars in her eyes. The one that thought, “Yeah we’ll do China for a couple years.” She believed that ‘being abroad’ was the answer.
Truth is: there is good and bad about everywhere you live. You truly can’t find happiness in a location. Yup, I’m gonna say it: I’m pretty sure that it’s inside that you find it.
It’d be a helluva lot easier if a new city or village provided instant happiness. It offers excitement for sure. But you’ll always find things that are not to your liking anywhere you go. It’s all about how you look at it. Half empty or half full.
Travel remains as important to me as ever. Hopefully, I’ll be just a bit wiser about my life when I’m not travelling. Everyday, every place is important. This time is amazing — not in 3 months or 2 years when I am away again. I can still plan my next adventure but not at the expense of today’s adventures.
Excited? No. On the path to real happiness? Sure hope so.
