I’m a big believer in being responsible for one’s own happiness, this may be a bit hard for a lot of people to realize but it’s true. Yes, there are terrible events that happen in life, vicious words are said all the time, and the people you love have the power to hurt you at any moment in time but even after all of the negatives that can happen in everyone’s life you can find joy in all of the days that go by. No matter how ordinary a day can be there is always beauty if you’re willing to find it.

I thought about happiness, everyone’s happiness when I traveled to the Midwest a few days ago. Coming from the Pacific Northwest, a place I know and a place I call home, it’s easy to find things to be happy about. In a foreign place, its different. You have to search for it because you just don’t know. Especially when everything is so new and completely different from what you’re used to. Sometimes it can be difficult to fall in love with a place, the people, and the environment. The Midwest is completely different from what I know, let alone what I am used to seeing every day.

The first Midwestern location I visited was the city of Chicago, IL to visit my boyfriend. Prior to my arrival, I did not know anything about the landscape, environment, or feel of the “Windy City.” Nor did I expect anything because sometimes when you expect too much often times you’ll end up disappointed, so I departed Seattle eager to see the beauty waiting to be discovered once I landed. Upon arrival, my first experience of my new location was driving through the city, as a passenger of course. Right off the bat I could see and feel the fast paced life the people had to be comfortable in. There was traffic, not just bumper to bumper and slow-moving traffic but columns of cars attempting to cut each other off, honking at each other to move faster even though they know they can’t, and people doing both while also casually shaving their face or putting on makeup. As I got deeper into the city, I realized that the people that roamed the streets were just as chaotic as the cars on the highway. It was obvious that everyone had somewhere to get to. In the midst of all the moving chaos were the skyscrapers that stood still and majestic around the city. We have tall buildings in the city of Seattle, but nothing compared to Chicago. They were as magnificent as they were mind-bogglingly tall. I had never felt smaller than when I stood below them, breaking my neck as I looked up and admired the intricate details that differed in each of their constructions. I was even lucky enough to scale (take an elevator) the 96th floor of the John Hancock building, the fourth tallest building in Chicago and the eighth tallest in the United States. The 96th floor consisted of a bar with overpriced cocktails, beers, and appetizers but you’ll realize that the drinks and food are not what you’re paying for when you look through the clear glass walls at the panoramic view of the city and the massive body of water known as Lake Michigan. The view was astounding. It’s hard to wrap your mind around the fact that the miles and miles of ocean blue water is NOT actually an ocean even though its size is strikingly similar to the view of the Pacific Ocean I am used to seeing in Hawaii every time I reach the top of a mountain.

Chicago. Chicago made me happy, because coming from a state full of beautiful mountains to climb I was extremely grateful to see that maybe not everyone needs mountains and the ocean beside them. Who knew!

After being mesmerized by the city of Chicago, I made my way to the state of Missiouri for a family reunion. Although Illinois and Missiouri are both considered part of the Midwest. . .that’s about all they have in common, I might be slightly over exagerating but their differences are distinct. The husle and bustle of my Chicago trip quickly turned into a peaceful and simple life on the countryside. Now, Im not lying when I tell you that my hour plane ride to Kansas City was the most comfortable ride I have ever been on simply because I had the entire row of seats ALL TO MYSELF. This has never happened to me before and as much as my dad says it doesn’t mean anything, I honestly think that maybe the location  has something to do with the lack of bodies on the plane. . . but maybe Im wrong. . . or not. Needless to say, I thought Missiouri would have nothing to offer. I was wrong. As I rode in the back seat of a car (nope not a horse-drawn carriage as you might be picturing)  to my Aunts house, I looked out the window and saw nothing but miles of what looked to be a never ending flat plain of farm land with lone houses sporatically built every couple of miles and small towns situated on the shoulders of the highways. No traffic, no one in a rush, nothing. Nothing but simplicity. At first it was hard for me to understand why people even visited such a place and for my family. . .LIVED there all of their life, but as I kept driving and seeing the same wide open fields for hundreds of miles I saw something special about a place so desolate. In the city you see manufactured, constructed, and man made things. On the countryside, you see wide open space, space you only dreamt of while driving in the city. You would see the raw colors that only nature can develop and create from the wheat, the grass, and the rich soil. In the city, you’d see the glimmer of the glass from the skycrapers, but on the country side you’d see the sparkle of every star in the galaxy because there’s nothing holding it back from shining bright on a clear night. Seeing the reasons of how someone could fall in love with such a place made it easier for me to understand how my family could be as content as I am in Washington or Hawaii.

Find the joy in the simpliest of things and places. Look for the beauty in the smallest moments of an ordinary day because sometimes when you’re looking at something. . . are you really seeing it?

What makes you happy.

I grew up on a beautiful little island on the upper left corner of Washington State. My hometown is made up of roads that ultimately lead you right to the ocean, hundreds of trails to explore decorated with Evergreen trees, and mountains with views that will truly never get old. It’s a place I have taken for granted and have never really appreciated until I left it for a little too long.

I now reside a little less than an hour North from my little island in a place a bit bigger,  more active, with more (equally) admirable views. Living in Washington may not be everyone’s cup of tea, or should I say cup of coffee (we drink a lot of those here), because… well the weather is most often than not, cloudy with a ninety-nine percent chance of rain. With fifty-shades of grey outside your window at all times, one would consider Washington to be sweater weather central. Sometimes, even in the summer, yikes! I know. It’s true, you might need a dose of Vitamin-D from your doctor because you most likely won’t see the sun for a while.

Most people would run away from this seemingly wet and dreary state, however; being home grown here you’ll learn that its worth it to endure all the cold, wet, and grey days because when the sun finally decides to peak through the clouds the world around you changes. Today was one of those days. I lived in Hawaii this past year, so coming from a consistent 80 degrees of blues skies to 53 degrees of rain clouds, summer here isn’t what most would consider “summer.” I’ve been home for less than a month and most of those days were chilly and uninviting. Today wasn’t one of those days, instead   the weather peaked to an exciting 85 degrees and not a cloud in sight. So as you can guess, EVERYONE took advantage of every second of today. I guess its true, you don’t really appreciate something until you’ve been deprived of it and that goes for a lot of things. For us Washingtonians, we’ve learned to appreciate great weather because it only comes ever so often and when it does, we cherish every drop of sunlight. If you’re from Washington, you’ll find yourself scrolling through multiple pictures of neature walkers, kayakers, and sunbathers on Instagram because, why not, it IS a picture worthy day. Not to mention some awesome lighting for selfies, right?

I went to my favorite park today, as I always do, because it has a coffee shop right on the water with an incredible panoramic view of the ocean, snow-capped mountains, and the neighboring islands. The free WiFi and scrumptious raspberry scones (you’ll probably devour within 5 seconds) are just the added perks that keep me here for way too long. It’s undeniably beautiful, it might even be a post card worthy picture. Which is why it has become one of my favorite places to visit even on those typical Washington days, but today, today was different. My getaway and writing nook had transformed, the grass looked greener, the ocean sparkled a little more, and the different personalities that came had one thing in common – they all had smile’s on their faces. As I walked to the coffee shop, I couldn’t help but admire how illuminated my whole world looked and how lively everyone felt. There were people on slack lines, playing catch, children running around, and even people tanning their Washington-whiteness away because today, there was a chance. I mean, you know you’re from Washington if you can go from wearing a North Face one day to wearing a bathing suit, sometimes, literally the next day.

If you ever wander away from your home and happen to come to the Evergreen state of Washington, give it a chance, those dreary days that you may have to endure will reward you with one of the most beautiful days you’ll have to enjoy.