BY JODI MCDUFFEE
As school gets out and summer begins it seems like everyone is ready for an escape, freedom from every day, the joy that is SUMMER! When I think of summer I tend to think of my “happy place.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “happy place” literally means a memory, situation, or activity that makes you feel happy. Mine takes me to Chincoteague Island in July 2020. It marks the most perfect time in our family’s life. Funny enough, the back story would make you think “How could this place be your happy place?” But man, does my heart burst with joy and my eyes brim with tears every time I think of Chincoteague.
“How does a Happy Place become just that? I am sure it is a mixture of weather, the right group of people, the time in your life, and a whole list of other entities. For me, Chincoteague was the mark of a fresh start for us.”
Jodi McDuffee
As you may recall, something called the Pandemic was at full throttle. My husband, who works in the Parks and Recreation field, had been furloughed since the spring and we were trying to decide if we should make the road trip to the east coast to spend time at his brother’s beach house in Chincoteague. I am sure many of you reading this now were in that very same situation, waiting to hear what was going to happen next with your position. As I am sure many of you were doing, we sat expecting a call that he was going to get to come back to work as the recreation department was gearing up for summer and attempting to figure out how to make programming viable and safe. Instead, we received the call that they terminated his job after 14 years there. Anyone reading this, whether in this field or not, knows someone that received that same call or was that person who answered. It is pure heartbreak; it was shocking and scary. But then the best thing happened, we packed up the car and drove the 14 hours to Chincoteague, Virginia.
How does a Happy Place become just that? I am sure it is a mixture of weather, the right group of people, the time in your life, and a whole list of other entities. For me, Chincoteague was the mark of a fresh start for us.
The weather was gorgeous, it was our kids’ first time to the ocean, and our son celebrated his 6th birthday on the beach and declared it “the best day ever!”, we sat on the beach and watched the sunset and the moon rise, we had a true crab boil and we saw the famous wild horses to top it all off. We spent our days soaking in the sun, sand, and waves and our nights eating seafood and enjoying summer nights. It was a blissful trip that highlighted the importance of life, family, love, and laughter.
Close your eyes and transport yourself back to your happy place, what does your version look like? Is it a trip such as mine, a place somewhere on this big blue ball that you go back to time and time again, the mark of something beautiful in life like the birth of a child, or a simple time shared with someone you hold dear?
“That is the beauty of a Happy Place, it can always transport you back to that moment, that feeling, and remind you that life is pretty darn great.”
Jodi McDuffee
It has been two years since that phone call and that trip. Since then, we have made a move to a new city, started new jobs, and our kids have adjusted to a new school. Looking back, I will always believe Chincoteague Island was the starting point of our journey to a “new happy.” That is the beauty of a Happy Place, it can always transport you back to that moment, that feeling, and remind you that life is pretty darn great.
May this summer find you creating a new Happy Place or visiting an old one and enjoying those small moments in life that make it so grand. Happy Summer!
