Happy 2013!

The new year blew in with a rain storm that's lasted three days.  It's forced me to stay indoors for some quality relaxation and reflection time.  I've found, in catching up on emails, that I keep mentioning how happy I am here, but I can't quite explain why.  If you put it out on paper, there's so much going well at the moment - great group of friends, beautiful place to live, good job, people that love me... but that doesn't do it justice.  There's some kind of feeling, some kind of intrinsic connection I have with this place that I struggle to put into words.  The knowledge that there's really nowhere I'd rather be.  Of course, I miss lots of friends and family all over the world, and I selfishly want you all to come here because then there really would be nothing missing.  It's the kind of feeling you just have to experience for yourself before you understand.

I'm always a happy person and try to make the most of wherever I find myself, but this, right now, tops it all, and I can't help but feel incredibly lucky and thankful.  Once again I feel like I've magically ended up in the right place at the right time, and I do consider myself lucky for it.  I know they say happiness is the journey, not the destination, but right now I feel like it's a combination of both - I'm going to rename Te Anau and call it Happiness.  I live in Happiness, New Zealand, and you're all welcome to visit.

Here's to hoping that the good karma I have, for whatever reason I have it, reaches out to all of you too, and that your endeavors this year end well.  I hope my luck can rub off on others, and that they too can share in the felicity of being content.  I wish for a happy and healthy year for all of us, a year of growth and overcoming challenges with grace and strength, a year of happiness.  I'll toast to that!