When Somebody Tells Me I Should Go To My Happy Place, I Would Go To...

Manhattan really does it for me, especially around Christmas. I could really "do" two weeks in New York City.

Gulf Shores really does it for me. Fall's supposedly the best there, but I've only been in summers. It's a small stretch of beach in Alabama that is really tucked away. Sure, it's got the hotel/restaurant scene like most other beaches, but the beaches are white and it's a good place to slow down and kick back.

Colorado does it for me, summer or winter. Well, I should say that a hotel in the mountains does it for me. I learned that people actually go camping in Colorado, which I'm sure is nice if you're into that sort of thing. But being in a mountain house near a ski slope is nice, too.

I don't hunt.
I don't fish.
I'm not much into golfing.
I'm not much into tourist traps, although sometimes I can't resist. You know, if you see a Bigfoot Museum along the way, you have to stop and check that out. The biggest tourist trap ever is Disney World, but I got sucked into the Disney Magic while I was there and it's pretty much greatness if you can spend a week there.

And, I'm hearing a lot from people lately about how tired they are when they come back from their vacations. What's up with that?

Not me, man. Just my family and...
A stack of good books.
A hammock.
A cool view, whether it's tall buildings or mountains or an ocean.
A lack of planning. Just wake up and see where the day takes you. Maybe you nap. Maybe you eat out. Maybe you lay on the beach. Maybe you swim.

Rest.
Mental.
Physical.
Spiritual.
Emotional.

Those are my happy places. What're yours?