Finding the Happiest Place on Earth

For as long as I can remember, the Disney properties have been referred to as the happiest places on earth. And I mean, who can argue? Have you ever watched a little girl meet a Disney Princess for the first time? Or have you watched a young boy run through a crowd to hug Buzz Lightyear to infinity and beyond?

• 

• 

• 

Finding My Happy Place

However, as I sit in my camper in the middle of the woods somewhere in Georgia, I really feel that I can take on Mickey Mouse for the happiest place on earth! Lucy is sitting on the camper sofa watching Perry Mason. Jackson and Sean are both reading books on their Kindles. I am just looking at all of them, thinking that there is no place in this universe that I would rather be.

All too often, children and adults get caught up in the rat race of life. There are days when I get home after a rough day at work, and it is all that I can do to make it to the sofa to collapse. Then, I will battle Jackson with homework, and I end up popping open a few cans of chicken noodle or tomato soup before we go to bed and do it all again the next day.

Finding Thankfulness

This past spring, Sean had a rough day, which seldom happens because he is a pretty optimistic guy. He called me on the way home from work and said he was tired and ready to come home. I spouted something off, not really thinking to the tune of, “…at least you have somewhere to come home.”

I didn’t think too much about what I said, but he did. Sean said that he was so happy to have somewhere to come home. That got me thinking, is it really so bad that my son despises homework? At least he is receiving an education. I may be tired, but at least I have a sofa to collapse onto. We may be eating soup out of a can, but at least our children are not going to bed hungry.

This last week, Sean, the kids, and I went to see White Christmas at the Fox Theater. We had raced out the door and hurried through a drive-thru for dinner. One of the kids spilled their fries in the back seat. Lucy’s burger was missing its tomato. When we arrived at the theater, it seemed like we took a hike up Stone Mountain to get to our seats because I was a day late buying them, and tickets to the show had sold like hotcakes. We were in the nose-bleeds!

I didn’t realize that one of the show’s themes was based on the song Count Your Blessings, written by Irvin Berlin. Berlin’s lyrics talk about that when you worry about life and can’t sleep because trouble is filling your mind, count your blessings. When you count your blessings instead of your worries, your mind will be at ease, and you will drift off to sleep with no problems.

I drove home that night in a much better frame of mind than when I had arrived. I had listened to the Count Your Blessings song a million times before, although this night, it had a new meaning.

When I’m worried and I can’t sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my blessings

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
If you’re worried and you can’t sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings

-Irvin Berlin

It is easy to find all that is wrong with life. The evening news or rush hour traffic can help me find those feelings very quickly. However, happiness is created by surrounding yourself with the people that you love. I would not have seen White Christmas alone, and I would have never visited a Disney Park by myself. But I did want to experience these things with my family.

• 

• 

• 

I promise that my family will never pass up a trip to one of the Disney Parks. However, maybe people who visit the parks are so happy because of who they are enjoying the parks with, and the parks themselves are just an additional bonus.

• 

• 

• 

When you stop and truly take it all in, whether, in the woods in a camper or in the middle of your living room, you might just find that the happiest place isn’t a place at all, but rather it is surrounding yourself with the ones you love the most.

What is your happiest place on earth? We would love to hear from you. Please drop us a line in the comment section below!

Have you been thinking about your circumstances lately? Check out Traveling Through Life.

Would you like to rent an RV for your next road trip? Click HERE to learn about Outdoorsy’s selection of available RV rentals!