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There are a few days before I fly back home. On Monday morning I work together with Matt at one of his favorite coffee places, Hidden House Coffee, and when he goes to the office I drive to Los Angeles one more time. I hadn’t thought I would go back there on this trip, but since I have the whole afternoon to myself I figure that I might as well.

If you’re friends with Matt and Nancy, there is a good chance that you’re also a Disney fan. Nancy works at Disneyland and is there every week, which comes with the benefit that from time to time she can also take people with her.

For the first time since I’m here, I wake up by the alarm clock at 5am instead of just before it goes off. I must have been tired from all the hiking and driving yesterday. For a moment I stay in bed, thinking about where to go from here. To be honest, I feel a bit stuck this morning. I don’t want to follow the coast as first planned and heading straight north to the parks is probably not a good idea, because of the rain and snow going on there.

I had set the alarm a bit later this morning, because I went to bed so late last night, but happily I wake up about a quarter to five. I slept quite well the first night in the car and feel energized for my favorite hike, to the Hollywood sign. It’s still dark and a bit chilly outside when I start walking, but very soon it’s not cold anymore. The hike up to the sign is always a big climb. It’s very misty this morning which makes it a different experience than last time, I like it though.

It’s Easter Sunday. Back home we usually don’t celebrate that extensively, but here it seems like a bigger deal. People have easter bunnies in their yard and are coming together with family. I also have a gathering with friends planned in the afternoon.
In the morning I first go back to the coffee place I found yesterday, because I enjoyed hanging out there.

Leaving a place by ferry feels very definite like you don’t know when you’re coming back there. For a moment I wonder if I should have spend more time in the Olympic area, but knowing that I’ve one two hikes there I feel like I’ve gotten a great experience there. I don’t want to skip Seattle though and so I drive to Space Needle where there also is a monorail station.

This morning I got a message from someone who I hadn’t spoken with for a long time. She told me that she currently has a hard time being happy and that my positive messages and pictures are helping to cheer her up. I know how challenging it can be sometimes to find joy and I’m very grateful that I am able to help others where I can.

When you’re feeling down I think it’s very important to reach out to someone and tell how you feel. It might not be an easy step, but you have to know that everyone has their ups and downs and there is a good chance they’ll understand how you feel. Even if they might not have a solution for you, it’ll probably make you feel better to just share your challenges with someone.

Talking about it is a great start, though there is no change without action. Therefore I’ve written down seven actions that might help you feel better and bring more joy into your days.