So far on our trip, we’ve been in Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon & California, and in each state we’ve seen truly beautiful places. Places worthy to call home, should we ever care to move.

One such place is the coastal town of Crescent City, California. A charming place, just a stone’s throw from the redwood forest. Redwoods!

It’s not a fancy town. I doubt any millionaires will be building vacation homes there any time soon. This is an honest-to-goodness coastal town, with real working fishermen, shopkeepers and restaurant owners.

But gosh, even so, I couldn’t help thinking they must be happy people.

I even said it to Husband. I said, “Gosh, these people must be happy.”

I bet every morning they wake up, take a deep breath, smell the salt air and think to themselves, “I must be the luckiest person in the world, because I live in Crescent City, California.”

Before we left this morning, we took a long walk along their rocky beach and as we walked, I wondered how I’d feel once we got home. I mean, oh sure, it’s always nice to get back, get slobbered on by Dog, all that jazz.

But returning to the summer heat of Phoenix, the parched plants in our yard, the various shades of brown in the landscape…  Sigh. Can’t say I’m looking forward to it. We even joked about checking in with a realtor, just to see what a little cottage by the sea would set us back.

We stopped at the Fisherman’s cafe for breakfast. At the table next to us was a family discussing the pros and cons of various places to live. The young man and his wife were planning on moving, and his parents were offering their opinions. Arizona was mentioned, so naturally Husband joined in, because that’s what he does.

Here’s the thing — this guy lives in Crescent City, but he wants to move! He’s thinking either Idaho, Colorado or northern Arizona, because he wants to be where there’s four seasons.

Seasons, schmeasons — you’ve got the sea! And you live a stone’s throw from the redwood forest! Redwoods!

How could you not be happy?

Later, Husband said he doubted the young man would be happy anywhere, as he just seemed the complaining type. He may be right.

But wait — was I guilty of the same thing? Was I foolishly believing happiness was a location, rather than a state of mind?

I couldn’t help but think of a phrase a wise uncle used to say: Bloom Where You’re Planted.

Wherever you are, give it your best offering. Make that the place where your beauty shows.

We’re on our way home to Phoenix now; we’ll be there in just a few days. I think I need to give my uncle’s advice a lot more thought.

Overall, I know Phoenix is a mighty nice place to live. A swell place to live. An easy place to bloom, if one is so inclined.

(But just so you know, I’m still holding on to my hope of one day living in a small cottage by the sea.)