Happiness

‎"This is one of the many paradoxes of happiness: we seek to control our lives, but the unfamiliar and the unexpected are important sources of happiness" - Gretchen Rubin In my recent dedication to read more, I've finished three books in the past week.  I'm on books 4-7 now.  (I like to read a bunch of different books at once.)  While traveling around, the bestselling book, "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin caught my eye.  I generally describe myself as a happy person, but I'm always pursuing more ways to better take advantage of the joys of life.  This book matched that mindset perfectly.  The author wasn't sad, she was like me: generally happy, but desiring to increase in happiness.  The book is an easy read for me, as her oddity and semi-highstrung/controlling, a-type personality gives me a chuckle.  With a lot of experimentation and reading, she goes through her own happiness project to become happier and consequent improves her quality of life.

I enjoy the quote above.  In her research she discovers that studies show traveling to new places, learning/doing something new and appreciating the little things actually do, in fact, add to one's happiness.  With that in my mind, my heart craves travel even more, especially to New York, an explorer's paradise, where at every corner is a new adventure, an experience or a restaurant to try. I miss it dearly.