22 Happy Places to Refresh + Reset, The Rides of March, Travel Re-openings, and Place & Time Poetry
A Spring Blog
( Please indulge the extra long blog titles I do as I’m wholeheartedly inspired by Daily Mail headlines! )
NEW POETRY! My poetic side is reawakened- largely due to the crazy state of things in the world. Ahead of National Poetry Month in April, scroll down for “Place and Time“ selections.
Did you get away on Spring Break yet? No? It’s just A few days after the official start of Spring in the northern hemisphere.
22 Happy Places to Refresh +Reset
Flipping through the latest Mantra Wellness … the focus of starting anew was cheerfully conjured up. Editor-in-chief, Maranda Pleasant encourages readers to pay good attention to our feelings when setting forth to design a “fresh start”.
So, when making your travel plans, ask yourself, how do you want to feel on destination? Well, happy, of course! Awaken your happy, especially if you’ve been deep in the sads lately over Covid, Russia-Ukraine, other global instability, politics, or family and other relationship strife. It’s time to feel good and go somewhere along a coast beautiful.
Pick a happy destination, design a trip and book it soon !
Local places (Find a happy, pleasurable local place if you don;t have a lot of $$$ to travel):
1. Nature parks- experience the bloom, smell the roses because it will make you smile and feel good. Revisit botanical gardens
2. Your local spa- Find an out of town spa, refresh your skin, get spoiled. Find a natural ayurvedic one.
3. The video arcade- Reawaken your inner child. Everything in life is a game anyway. Make it fun like it used to be in the arcade days.
”The South”: Enough of the fast. Go reset in a place with a slower pace, with pleasant Spring sunny temps in America and Europe.
4.Collierville, TN- Memphis suburban town. So comfy here. My home away from home. Was voted “Best Main Street” by Parade Magazine.
5. El Sur, south Spain. Gorgeous, less congested towns in the country , more sunshine. Seville is marvelous (Sevilla es maravillosa!). See this itinerary.
6. Southern France, Riviera & Provence.. example- Go for beach hopping in Nice, roam in Provence lavender fields and savor exquisite cuisine alone.
7. Il Sud, southern Italy- Go to an emerging super region of Puglia to taste the arguably the best bread in the world. Or go to Calabria to experience fewer crowds. Frommer’s explores both regions in one trip.
Best Happy Towns:
8. Roadtrip to Carefree, Arizona. Does the name of this town sound inviting? If you want to venture Arizona in the dead heat of summer, at least get a super deal at town’s premier spa retreat, Civana, and take advantage of indoors wellness splendor.
9. Bountiful, Utah Utah is a “happiest U.S. state”. Enjoy the open space in this Salt Lake City suburban escape. Check out this family-friendly location.
10. Anytown in South Dakota- Freedom and wide open spaces rings here.
11. Gretna Green, Scotland- Happy times are here in this Scottish town just outside of the English border. The quirky town statues or just saying the tiwn name in an attempt of Scottish brogue will make you smile. For the romantics, come here and get married or celebrate your anniversary.
12. A nature-filled Florida town in the “Sunshine State” , for example, Celebration, a town SE of the so-deemed “happiest place on earth”, Disneyworld. It’s only 25 min of a drive from Celebration to Orlando.
13. Nature-loving NW or NE California town … for example, Eureka. Come to a charming old throwback Cali town with a picturesque old town and waterfront. Stay clear from the urban madness of San Fran and L.A. several miles south.
Official Happiest Countries
( healthy quality of daily life to observe, beautiful water-centric destinations, healthy locals, clean and diverse cities with diversions):
14. Finland: Again, rated “happiest country” in not just Europe, but, the world.
Why? Find out the happy criteria and the Finn paradise on earth.
15. Denmark: One of the “Happiest European” destinations, the “Land of Everyday Wonder”. Discover more.
16. Sweden: Ranked high on “happiest country” lists. For travelers who desire to be in a safer place with fewer Covid restrictions, Sweden is the place to book.
17. Czech Republic- What makes me happy when thinking about the Czech Republic? Scenes of the cheerful colorful palette on buildings in Prague throughout the country.
18. Belize- Highlight of the Caribbean, beaches, diversity of land, cultures. Discover more.
Other Notables:
19. Brazil- Vibrant people with sunny deposition , gorgeous beaches
smily selfies on Insta?, Excellent coffee to start the day, festa party peeps- Carnevale!
20. South Korea- Borders will partially open to tourists (those who got the Covid shots) and hopefully the country’s gov will broaden for all to experience fun Gangam style. Noteworthy: South Korea has been called the “lowest antidepressant country”.
21. Singapore- This is the jubilant jewel of Asia with gorgeous landscape, and cultural diversion.
22. India- Take a nirvana trip. Tour Taj Mahal or another top touristy spots like Goa, or go more off the beaten path in India and visit happy destinations Gokarna Ponticherry, Manali or Coorg.
Spring Travel Re-openings
In the Travel Industry …
What a sudden shift in travel industry headlines this month! Hurray- Covid cases are waning for the most part and Covid-related politics is dwindling down. With this, countries are releasing re-opening programs. Thank you, Iceland, for recently initiating the “back-to-tourism” movement. Iceland reopening link. Other countries have followed suit (United Kingdom, Finland, Ireland, Romania…)
With all this positive reopening news, it must be not forgotten that discrimination continues for travelers choosing to not get a Covid vaccine shot. In case we didn’t get the memo (indeed if you just listen to mainstream media), getting the jab does not prevent the transmission of the virus and not just the non-vaccinated can spread the virus. Also, a number of countries, particularly in Asia have not yet opened to foreign travel, including Japan and India.
Mask charade in tourism is fading - Popular Mexican State to Lift Mask Mandate
The Rides of March
Take an RV ride. Use Outdoorsy- get a $50 credit for trying it out!
In the news… Convoy truck ride.
Follow The People’s Convoy
Tune in, watch podcast with PC organizer on The Mel K Show.
Roller coaster , anyone?
Kiddie rides and water slides Sesame Street is expanding as new theme park in San Diego, packed with coasters for the kids and adults. See Big Bird, Grouch and the gang on Sesame Place opens on March 26.
Place and Time Poetry
Poppies are opening up again, so have my poetic thoughts have been reawakened!
***The first piece is recent though had “hung out in my mind” for about a decade now. Inspired by hood visits and Langston Hughes…***
Along MLK Jr Blvd Shabby hood plots, empty lots, seemingly neverending cop sirens and greasy chicken joints, overlending Cash Checking & Loans, Corner gangbang flashpoints, Gaudy ghetto jive and groans. and only Black and Brown reside off and roam down the way It's the same way in Atlanta and L.A., and also in Baltimore, the same boulevard refrain Utter urban despair crime and disparity What a pity in the name of Martin! But a redeeming urban flair and merriment exists too along MLK Jr that no one can ignore- Fly street wear and suit threads on daily parade from plebs who jaunt pridefully on the pavement giving passerbys the "what's sup" nod. Along the boulevard, It's not just hopeless and hard Wide grins on plebs' faces win over long-faced grimaces Hood folks say, "Life is good" and their spirit is high as the ghost of Martin smiling above and too, God
***This next piece was written a while back, inspired by my first visit to Paris about 20 years ago. It was too short of a trip to appreciate. Next time, I hope to do some neighborhood (arrondissment) hopping.***
La Premiere Fois en Paris
Crepes sizzling from griddle heat;
Creeps sizing up victims on the street
I was hungry,
I was vulnerable;
I gave into a savory,
I gathered bravery,
I did Paris
but I crave for more.More Marinarena poetry to be featured in April, National Poetry Month!
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