That's about the only thing that transports me out of this time and place. Good luck to the OP.

I'm listening to a lot of 70's hits.

My happy place is when and where I'm with what Stan called, "your fabulous females:"


To borrow another of Stan's favorite lines, "'nuff said."

Beautiful ladies and photo in a wonderful location.
Thank you.

Listening to the waves…

With my favorite people..

Last edited Fri Apr 25, 2025, 02:41 PM - Edit history (1)

A secluded tropical crescent shaped beach lagoon, surrounded by 100' palm covered hills, late afternoon, sunsetting left to right, gentle waves lapping at the shore, 20' from me on my hammock between 2 palm trees.
For a moment I forget about what our country has become and what has yet to come.
It's gone.

It's fun and relaxing and I can learn something. I also escape from the news about you know who and that is a mercy right there.

I retired within days of the election and since then I've rarely left the house except to run errands. An art museum might be enough reason to venture out.

I can access current (or old) shows at any major art museum in the world. Or if I read a review of a show in the NYT I can see it online (usually). Or the Louvre. Or the Uffizzi, etc. It is one of my greatest pleasures!

for my wife and I, but 2 weeks was not nearly enough time. We want to move there for about 2 months. If you've never been, I highly recommend it. I try to imagine what the artist was experiencing at the time of creation, especially their emotional state of mind. I sometimes get chills from it.
Thank you for reminding me. Beauty over politics.

My mother took me to Paris when I was 16 years old. It was overwhelming to me, a kid from Dallas!

It's right up there with Florence on my list of cities with the greatest art. I loved the art you can find in Rome but disliked the city as I found it just too big and too much. Florence was much more comfortable for me.

I envy your young experience. I was in my mid 50's. Good information on Florence and Rome for our return to Europe, thank you.

Specifically some where with good visibility or vis.

Maybe your happy place is down here. I'll look around.

the peace and tranquility you must experience with each dive.

And a gurgling spring-fed Creek running alongside.

1976, Seattle, Ravenna Park, near the 20th St. Bridge, just after where the trail forks.

Mmm, quite peaceful.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver-white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things
When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things
Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver-white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

Seriously though, mine is in the past now, but there are plenty of things to distract me, starting with my lovely kitty boys ❤️

But I know what you mean.
My happy place is watching YouTube shorts because they are so often happy, moving, uplifting, and short.

members with very thoughtful detailed ideas. Each one that I read gives me relief and hope for a better future. Even if that future is just for the moment I'm reading the responses. That is a moment I'm not thinking about this mess.
I am grateful for each response and some I will utilize in my future.
After one response in particular I'm now making a plan to revisit Europe with a specific goal. I'm also researching "slow traveling" that involves a life of tourism of the world. I'm retired and my wife is just about to be. This mess is going to be around way past this buffoon in office.
While still here I will do what I can to help our cause for the sake of our Country and the sake of humanity but by '28 I'm outta here. 🤞

I've read DU for 20+ years but only joined as a member in Nov.'24. Because of the election and I'm glad I did. I've never been a joiner but I've always had thoughts and ideas to share. This community has given me a place to be heard and that alone has helped so much during these stressful times. Being heard and communicating with like minds and genuinely caring people is especially important to me because in the last 5 years I've lost most of my ability to hear. As a result I don't have many conversations except with my family. People get frustrated when you ask them to repeat themselves 3 or 4 times and I don't blame them.
In the end, before retirement, I was a Realtor 28 years and speaking with and meeting a variety of people was what I did.
Outside of my family, including my Buddy, DU gives me hope, when I wake up and before I lay my head down.
Thank you for the YouTube suggestion and for allowing me to reflect on how DU helps me. And thank you for "listening".

usually headed towards a great view high in the mountains or a waterfall. Maybe walking along a creek or river flowing over the rocks it reminds you to let things flow in your life and to not get stuck.

The smell of the fresh air, trees and flowers. The birds singing as they fly from tree to tree. The insects humming, squirrels scattering on crispy leaves. Sun peeking through the tall trees casting shadows below. Rain gently falling as the forest becomes quiet and still.

Or chunking live shrimp at the crack of dawn in Port Aransas.

👍

You stand on a sand bar with your rod and reel in hand. Attached to your waist is a net, a stringer, and a bucket of live shrimp.

You use a popping cork. A popping cork rig uses a buoyant cork to attract fish by creating noise and surface disturbance when "popped".

You hook up the shrimp; hold onto the rod with both hands and cast it as far as you can (chunking) while standing in waist-to-chest deep water. Then you pull back and “pop” the cork to attract the fish. Very similar to fishing with a top water lure for bass.

The sun is coming up; the sea is calm and green to the beach. You keep popping the cork and bam! Fish on! Now sometimes that ole redfish or speckled trout will turn you completely around before it gives up! Heart racing you use your net and scoop that beauty up!

Heaven! Nothing like it in the whole world!

Thank you.

Digging and moving soil around; filling pots; the texture; smell etc. provides me great pleasure.

Raising native pollinators and trees from seed saved the previous growing season is thoroughly gratifying.

Having hundreds of plants that I know I will have to share out to others; bringing them the same joy is my happy place.

I’m just one small part of a larger effort; this also brings me joy.

I can disconnect for one or many consecutive hours; and I really appreciate that…

Hope you find and reconnect with yours!

I'm finding comfort in hearing about everybody else's happy place.

•Hanging with my sister (even on the phone) , and other family (just visited for Easter in the 'burbs), and friends (also by phone, or f2f). I enjoy texting, too, but I prefer hearing their voices. 🩷
•Listening to music.
•Getting lost in making art, or doing crafts (for decades!)
•Looking at Nature Landscape photos.
•Reading
-----------------------------------
So just about all of that is at home.
Then there is traveling...

I'm in a Assisted Living place. We're on a superblock so in the interior we have a backyard full of trees, which are greening up now. 🥰 Even a few flowering ones. An elevator, and short walk away.
I'm out there for a half hour to like 2 hrs almost every day when it's not raining, or up to about 92°F and dry. Take my phone, sketch pad, a book (physical or e book) yarn craft. Smell the chlorophyll, enjoy the green colors, the breeze.
•Used to live near various sized public parks I could walk to for 90% of my life. Not near one at all now, so the backyard is a godsend!
I still will travel on occasion to one of the biggest bc of the greenery, the view of The Hudson River, and the front gardens 🥰
packed with a succession of Spring, Summer, Early Fall flowers!
And my sis lives right near another big park, so we go there.
There's a gorgeous park they built just off the Hudson in ? '22 I've yet to visit.
•Art Museums on pay-what-wish or free days. That's been reduced by being out of habit bc of hiding st home away from covid for 3- 4 years!
So I need to get back to it.
•Idk if I'm going to be leery of big events for the rest if my life bc covid. I live in NYC the home of Big Events! I guess in the very warm Late Spring, and not superhot of summer if i remember correctly it's affected badly by heat. [Will check]

Well this is a good reminder to myself about the away-from-home outings! 👍😄

Thank you for sharing.