On World Happy Day— February 11, 2012—thousands of people will join together in communities across the globe to experience the film HAPPY and begin their journeys toward healthier and happier lives. Winner of the Audience Choice Award at the Arizona International Film Festival, the Best Feature Film Award at the Costa Rica International Film Festival, Road Trips for Families had the honor of screening this film before the worldwide-debut.

Examining money, family, work, values, and the communities we live in, HAPPY confirms what so m any of us in the travel world seek to create for ourselves. Citizens of the world, we leave our homes in search of the unknown. Living simply, aware we have more than many, we are never happier than when we are somewhere new.

Consulting some of our favorite travel websites and wander-lusting friends on the subject of happiness, why travel makes us happy, and where we love to go, the travel community chimes in!

“Most of our travels involve quirky roadside attractions, and the humorous elements inspire a lot of happy laughter and camaraderie among our family of four. How could you NOT be happy visiting the world’s largest garden gnome or bowling ball?” ~ Traci Suppa, Go BIG or Go Home

“Experiencing beautiful natural environments injects me with a sense of awe. I think I need that kind of jolt every now and then to stay happy. Being anywhere where I can hear the ocean lap on the shore makes me feel happy and at peace.” ~ Julie Harrison, Coffee With Julie

“I am never happier than when I travel. Even if it is just a morning out or a day trip, I am exploring the world with my family, seeing new things through toddler eyes and having uninterrupted time in the world. Nothing could be sweeter than that first breath of air on a new adventure. The back streets of a new city are my happiest spots in the world. I love turning a corner and finding an unexpected shop or cafe with a lone patron enjoying the paper and a cup of coffee. Or a neighbor who is happy to chat for a bit and share their life with me. You see the heart of the city in its back lanes; a side most travelers never venture into and explore.” ~ Keryn Means, Walkingon Travels

“Road trips make me happy because it’s one of the few times that my husband and I can talk to our teen without him thinking we are interfering in his life; we always learn so much by lunchtime.” ~ Kyle McCarthy, Family Travel Forum

A vacation should, practically by definition, help the traveler be happy. Hawaii has happiness in abundance; the sunshine, the beaches, the adventure, and especially the culture of Hawaii seems to engender happiness. ~ Jen Miner, The Vacation Gals

“The anticipation of travel is almost as great a joy as the journey itself. The first activates the imagination; the latter delivers the rewards of disc overy and learning, and often the adrenaline of experience.” ~ Kevin Revolinski, The Mad Traveler

“Travel is one way to satisfy my curiosity about the world. I have a special interest in history, and and seeing a place where something happened in the past helps to more easily  bring those events to life for me. One of my favorite happy places has to be northern Michigan. I particularly love Point Betsie Lighthouse and the long strip of Lake Michigan shoreline at the lighthouse near Frankfort, Michigan (great place to walk). Other favorite places include the Marblehead Lighthouse along Lake Erie in northern Ohio, Wagner Falls near Munising in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Copper Harbor at the very tip of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, the Hocking Hills region in southern Ohio and Minnesota’s North Shore. Yes, there’s a theme here…I love being near the water, and I’m a big fan of the Great Lakes region.” ~ Dominique King, Midwest Guest

I’ve found travel to be a gift that keeps on giving.  From the anticipation of the trip while planning, to the excitement of ex ploring new places, to reliving the trip by looking at the photos and scrapbooks, travel brings much happiness to our family.  There’s a special joy that comes from having shared experiences. ~ Terri Weeks, Travel 50 States with Kids

There’s no better way to stop sweating the small stuff. Travel puts a fresh perspective on your life and place on the planet. You step out into a country/city/town that you’re expecting to be completely different than your homeland and you find out that actually, at our core, we are all the same. When you travel with your family the realizations are even quicker and the smiles that much bigger.  ~ Heather Greenwood Davis, Globetrotting Mama

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