What's The Happiest I've Ever Been?

Has anyone ever asked you the happiest you’ve ever been? Well, nobody asked me, but I thought answering the question would make for a good blog post. It is a hard question to answer. I have had so many happy memories over the nineteen short years I have been alive. It’s hard to just pick one. I thought about it for a while and came to a conclusion. I had a few criteria when I was deciding. The first one is: How well do I remember it? The second one is: Will I tell my kids about it one day? The third one is: Was I completely in the moment, full of peace, and just happy? I think every moment is affected by what is currently going on in your life. If your grandma just died, it kind of ruins the good moments for a few weeks. If you just got into your dream school, it makes everything a bit sweeter. It isn’t the moment’s fault; it just happens to align with other good things. The end of March and the beginning of April in 2023 was a great time in my life. On March 21st, I had my first (and so far only) solo art show. I put months of effort into putting everything together and curating it the best I could with my current works. I had a lot of problems getting everything done, but it all came together. Tons of family and friends came to the show; it was even the night I met Violet’s parents for the first time. I was so fucking proud of myself for getting it done and for how well it went. On March 23rd, I asked Violet to officially be my girlfriend, and she jokingly said “no.” That unfunny “no” shortly became a yes, and that “yes” has turned into over a year and eight months of a relationship. On March 25th, I got my acceptance letter from FIT. Although I tried my best to pretend like I was unbothered about where I was going to school, I was shitting my pants. I just wanted to be in NYC. That day was the biggest sigh of relief I have ever felt. My dream was somewhat coming to fruition. I wasn’t going to move across the country to Arizona State. On March 31st, Tyler, The Creator released the deluxe for his album Call Me If You Get Lost, and I embarked on a three-week golf trip to England and Scotland with my best friend (my dad). Obviously, the start of the golf trip was much better, but the Tyler deluxe was a definite bonus. The trip started off with a Chelsea game at Stamford Bridge. Then we road-tripped around England before heading north to Scotland. The golf courses were great, my company was the best it could be, and we were both playing well (which is always helpful on a trip). On April 6th, my dad and I played twenty-seven holes at Prince’s GC. The morning nine started with my dad and me deciding to play a game of match play. We ended up going back and forth, both shooting even par on a not-so-easy links course with not-so-great weather. That night we went back to our hotel, which had a putting course just outside the front door. It was the first time I had ever seen my dad smoke a cigar, and we shared it until our fingers burned. The wind made it hard to light, but we figured it out. We were both buzzing and headed to the hotel restaurant, where we had phenomenal burgers and two pints of Guinness—the most I have ever seen my dad indulge at this point in my life. I think we were both more inebriated than we wanted to admit to each other. A few days later, we got a call from my mom that we had won the lottery to play The Old Course at St. Andrews. My dad’s friends showed up the same day and joined us for part of our trip. We ended up playing the Old Course, and it became the second happiest I have ever been in my life. I broke 80 at the home of golf, and I stuck it to two feet on the last hole to make birdie in front of a small crowd. I was standing on the green of the last hole of the course that started it all. I’m not a big fan of sappy bullshit, but you really do feel something special in the air in St. Andrews, Scotland. After the round, we got the best Indian food I have ever had. The week continued with barely any negatives, a beautiful sunset over a dinner at Turnberry, and just some really fucking good golf. Out of all these moments, they were really just laying the groundwork for the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I think the happiest moment in my life was on April 15th, 2023, around 8:06 PM. You might think that’s a very exact time, and to be honest, I just looked at the timestamp of a photo. I was standing on the 18th green at The Old Course again, and the sun was coming down. I had just made a long par putt in front of a decent crowd. I took my hat off, shook my dad’s hand, and gave him a hug. That is the happiest I have ever been. I’ve hugged my dad hundreds and hundreds of times, but that joyful three-week span accumulated into making that a hug I will never forget.  It was a hug I remember very well, and I could show you exactly where it was. It was a hug you’ll tell your kids about. It was a hug where I was completely happy and at peace. Of course, the rest of the trip was amazing, with more great moments. More Guinness, more cigars, and more Indian food. Royal Liverpool almost all to ourselves before The Open. But again, I hate sappy bullshit, and St. Andrews is a special place—that was the happiest I’ve ever been. Happy Monday, everyone!