The Happiest Place on Earth

with apologies to the mouse

We all have heard the saying, life is what you make of it. Recently, on a trip back to my hometown of Buffalo, NY I decided to divert for a couple of days to a small town in Livingston County, NY named Groveland. I have some extended family there. The sheer positivity of my relative and his family made it an easy choice to visit. We are all bombarded with “data” these days that tell us the best place to live, where the best weather is, where the friendliest people are. My unscientific conclusion is that there is much to be celebrated almost anywhere. Groveland is a perfect example.

My relative and I knew each other in childhood but over the years, life got in the way. Starting about five years ago we reconnected in earnest. I think we found that in some ways we are like-minded. For years now we have been messaging, talking on the phone, and occasionally sharing some time together on a video call. We managed to see each other briefly a few years back in the unfortunate circumstance that brings the distant family together, a funeral.

I think we figured that one of these days we will connect. I was traveling to Buffalo for a family reunion weekend but decided to start the trip early with an excursion to Groveland. It is about a 90-minute drive to Groveland from Buffalo. Since I had heard so much reference to its rural nature, I instructed my navigation system to drive to Groveland with no tolls and no highways. What better way to prime the pump for embracing rural life. My relative had done a masterful job over the years describing what it looks and feels like. When I reached the turn that would bring me to their home, I only needed to watch out for the blue and white home at the top of the hill countered by the red barn across the street.

I was met in the driveway with a heartfelt welcome from my family members. I think that all of us could feel the excitement and genuine warmth of what the next couple of days might hold. So much of what I only imagined from messages were revealed in reality. We hiked, ate, laughed, toured, and simply had a wonderful time together. That very same positivity and engagement were reflected in their children who we also managed to interlope on during the course of my time visiting. At the end of two days, we ended up driving together to Buffalo and extended the trip even more.

The genuine love of where they have fashioned their lives, the reflection of that optimism in their children, and now the bias to give back to their surrounding community in a selfless way is what that life fashioned in Groveland was really about. That is what makes it a great candidate for the happiest place on earth. I think the lesson in all this is that all of us are granted this one life to do with the very best we can. That is how we all can fashion the happiest place on earth. Think of how much you can save on airfare and park tickets in Orlando or Anaheim if only we work at it.