happy place

it's a wonderful thing when one can text one's children the words "Mama's in her happy place" and they text you back, knowing exactly where you are. that's what happened to me yesterday.
we had gone to one of my favorite areas of western NC to a yearly festival. it's a very small town with some very cool shops and a truly laid back atmosphere....the kind of place that brings slow, content breathing and that awakening stir in the soul. there are rocking chairs lining the streets, for this wonderful little town is known as the little town that rocks....on the front porch of western NC. I never tire of walking those streets and exploring the shops.
 and although this little town is one of my favorite places, there is another tiny town, off the beaten path, that is my happy place. and yesterday I got to spend some time there. I got to sit by the lake, meander the roads, soak in the peace. in my world, there truly is no other place that gives me the feeling I have when I am there. I am rooted to that place....I spent two of the happiest years of my life living there. the air even smells differently there...the sky seems bluer and the sunshine brighter. it's as if one leaves worries at the gate and is protected from all cares and woes while in this little cove. we all need a place like that.
these two little towns bring emotions to me that no other place does. I have been known to tear up upon arrival, just because it's so good to be back, and I have been known to tear up when leaving, because I don't like leaving. and if I were to have my choice of all the places I would like to settle in my mountains, I do believe that's where I would choose. because it feels like home. 
one of these days.....perhaps. only time will tell.  but for now I can return and enjoy it as often as I like. and I do love that thought.