Since my daughter was born. It hasn’t all been happy (mostly work-related and family issues (which are tied together)), but Sophia has been a complete and utter joy to parent. And my wife is a wonder as well.
I am a pretty happy person all in all, but the first ten years of my married life were probably the best. I was at the top of my powers as a mathematician; my three kids were born and we started raising them. After that my powers gradually declined, the kids grew up, went away to college and never returned, not live far away with kids of their own and my wife and I spend a month or more every year visiting them.
75, born and raised in Philadelphia and living in Montreal for the last 44 years.
“Honey, the time we’ve spent together has been great, but it can’t compare to those years after I learned to wipe my ass. Good times!”
Male, 66, born and raised in Cleveland suburbs.
Probably the first years I lived in NYC, age 24-27. The City was big and wondrous and everything I needed it to be. Ironically, I was also celibate during this period.
Right now, and each year gets better. That doesnt’ mean there aren’t downs, but I have a wonderful partner to face it with.
36, female. I was born in India but raised just outside of Detroit, at the base of the thumb, until I was ten or so.
59, The last 22 years with my wife. It’s been the BEST years of my life, the very best years of my life.
Male, 44, San Diego.
I’d say the happiest time in my life was about 1992-96, and more specifically 1994-96. During that time I met my girlfriend (now wife of over 15 years) and had a job out of college at a pharmaceutical lab where I loved the work and loved all my co-workers. We spent all our time together including weekends and vacations and were like best friends. With the new girlfriend, the sex is always new and exciting and I can’t remember a time where I’d wake up and be bummed or worried about anything, even though I didn’t have much money.
I’m still happily married today, went to grad school, and have a good job now that pays very well, but there is lots of underlying stress in owning a house, and being responsible for others that didn’t exist back then. In addition, my friends also now have a lot more obligations that didn’t exist at the time, which limits our freedom and that is perhaps what I miss most. If before I was 100% happy, now I’m more like 85%.
I’d say from about age 5 to 10, lots of running around in woods and fields and creeks, no responsibility.
I’ve had plenty of good times since, but that was probably the longest span of care-free time.
Female, 40’s. Currently living in NJ but was born and raised in NYC. The last two years have been the most amazingly happy period of my life. I completed my family and co-authored a book. I’ve realized I’m good at my jobs, stopped worrying about money and learned to sit back and enjoy my devoted husband, delightful daughters and the work that allows me time to be with all of them.
Living in Hawaii was definitely a high point for both the wife and me. It’s where we met. A wonderful place to be courting. 2-1/2 years of very little responsibility in a tropical paradise. I was at my fittest then too, it’s a real outdoor-type place. We were both in our early 30s.
The entire time since then has been magical too, but Hawaii is our special place, where it all started.
Female, mid-50s, born and raised in Southern California, having been living in the Pacific Northwest since 1988.
1992- 1998: I went back to college as an adult (had dropped out after one semester right out of high school). Started out Nursing (organic chem was a blast!) but switched to art school with the intention of becoming a medical illustrator. During those years, I worked part-time, went to school full-time, rarely got a full night’s sleep, discovered I was a lot smarter and more talented than I thought, and was challenged and pushed and happier than I’d ever been. Those were great times.
Age 41, male, lifelong outer borough New Yorker (Queens and Brooklyn, minus a few years “in exile” to northern NJ and Baltimore).
I’m pretty happy right now in my life, to tell you the truth. I’ve always been pretty happy (knock on wood). But looking back over the past 10 years, I sometimes find myself wishing it was 6 years ago (2006). I was getting back into shape, and felt great physically; my career felt like it was on an upward arc (I’ve since “topped out” for the foreseeable future); and my three children were collectively in what I recall as the peak years of parental heartmelting cuteness (ages 7, 5 and 3) such that I can just close my eyes and remember them like that.
Back when I was 35-36 years old I was regularly mistaken for being 26-28 years old. Now that I’m 41 I get mistaken for being 35 or 36 years old. In 5 years I managed to age ten years. And getting (back) into shape is much harder for me now than it was back then. That kind of sucks.
51 year old male. Born and raised mid-Atlantic states. The last five years or so have been my happiest. College years were fun, no doubt, but I wasn’t somehow emotionally able to relax and appreciate the good times. Now, with age and perspective (and some money in the bank and professional success) I can really enjoy every day. My kids think I’m crazy to believe that life gets better as we age.
Female, 33, born and raised in a Cleveland suburb.
Probably 15-18. High school was great (middle school was pretty bad). I could drive, I had money, I had high school band and all the friends and activities that came with, school was easy, I went to concerts downtown all the time, the music I listened to was awesome.
Female, age 29, Michigan transplant to New Jersey.
I’d say my early childhood, maybe age 3-7. I was a really confident, precocious kid and I got a lot of attention. I had my Mom, my grandparents, and my Aunt all committed to keeping me entertained and stimulated. I felt very loved.
Now is a close second. Every year gets better.
28yrs to now.
Met my partner then, together we spent 15yrs traveling, (and working, alternately!), for up to 10 months at a time. We hiked the Inca trail to Macchu Pichu, did SE Asia, climbing volcanoes and lying on beaches, parts of the Indian subcontinent, the Himalayas, trekking, studied Buddhism in a monastery in Nepal, etc, etc. These were truly remarkable years and the very best of times, but I hesitate to say the they will never be matched.
That shifted when we bought a house and took on caregiving responsibilities, 24/7 for a bed ridden loved one. Altering our life from no structure to all structure, mortgage, debt, the whole nine yards, as they say. 6yrs later, when it was over, we don’t know where we fit any more. Those were some difficult years. But remarkably rewarding, looking back now.
Yes, now we have security, and we’re not 28/38yrs old any more. Now we are 55/65yrs old. We are struggling to decide what our future should look like, retirement wise. Having said all that, I am somewhat surprisingly optimistic that our future holds our best travel experiences still waiting for us!
Am I sure how we’ll get to that? Not really. I just have a feeling is all. We’ll find a way.
- The year I was 17 was the tops.
Grad school was pretty damn good, so I’ll say my 20’s:
-I was really unbelievably healthy. I had already been an avid bicyclist in high school and undergrad, and with my grad school salary I saved enough money after the first year to buy a really good quality mountain bike. I rode everywhere as fast as I could, took great delight in accelerating as rapidly as possible and maintaining high speed. I developed my trials-riding skills: I could balance indefinitely at a stoplight, hop up over small obstacles, climb up or down really large ones, and ride down stairs. I picked up weightlifting, three times a week, and transformed my body; in the course of a couple of years I went from a stick figure to benching 250 pounds. I ate healthy foods - minimal restaurant fare, and low fat, low-meat dishes at home. I played racquetball once a week; I was pretty good, but part of that was because I took great pleasure in running around like a madman and hitting the ever-loving fuck out of the ball. In short, I took great pleasure in using and testing my body to its limits. My resting pulse was 38 back then, and I was muscular and had precious little body fat; I looked really good, and felt great.
-everything I had learned as an undergraduate mechanical engineering student was fresh in my mind, and I was now learning even more advanced stuff, in the classroom and in the lab. On top of all that, the internet arrived. I discovered the Usenet newsgroups, and got exposed to all kinds of interesting ideas in science, sex, philosophy, and other areas. My mind was growing and changing as rapidly as my body.
-I lived in a really amazing city, just a great place to be (Madison, WI).
-I haven’t kept in touch with anyone from high school or undergrad, but the friends I had in grad school, I’ve stayed in touch with several of them even now. They’re great people whom I really clicked with, and when I was in grad school, we all lived within biking distance of each other (or even roomed together).
I’ve actually looked at this for a couple of days and just thought “Too difficult to answer because they were all good.” And while that is largely true, I’ll try and mention some of the highlights.
When I was 10 to 13 I used to go to a summer camp in the Texas Hill Country. I was healthy, athletic, liked all my campmates and they liked me. It was idyllic being away from home for a month in beautiful surroundings and we learned about nature, shot rifles, swam in the pool, creeks and lakes, played dodgeball, rode horses, did woodwork and crafts, ate fantastic food, played indian and just had an absolute blast in general. Those were the happiest times of my life I think, what with all that fun and knowing soon you were going to have cars, drink that beer stuff, date pretty girls and you as yet had almost no responsibilities.
The end of High School and start of college was pretty awesome too. You were driving those cars, dating those girls, sex was not unexpected, there was fraternity rush, sorority dances, some really interesting classes and professors, etc. Good times.
Graduating and starting a real job sure had its perks. Nicer cars, your own place, making a little money, travelling, all good.
Then meeting the girl you’re going to marry and experiencing real love. Ain’t nothing that compares. Throw a perfect kid in the mix, you’re really making something of yourself at work, there a real satisfaction that your life has purpose and meaning.
Nowadays I’m loving watching the kid grow and make really good decisions, we’re financially set and, actually, things are about to get way, way better by a huge margin. We have our health, we know the places and people where we want to be and the means to make all that happen.
Somehow it’s all been good and it just keeps getting better, or at least the things that define happiness seem to have matured in step with the events and realities of my life. I don’t see that changing going forward to the next stage… or the ones after.
Not sure: it seems fairly even:
When I was growing up, I had little to do and school was easy and I was in Upstate NY, but I felt the lack of power.
When I was a teenager – Ok those weren’t the best because I hated, and still hate, Florida.
When I went to Cornell, I was back in Upstate NY which I loved and had more personal freedom, but more pressure.
Then when I transferred to UCF, I was back in Florida but at an easier school, still with more freedom than at home.
In the first years of my professional career when I had fewer responsibilities and the economy looked like I’d get to retire early, it was okay as well.
Now, my job is harder and the economy is shakier, but I have a much larger nest egg.
So basically, anything except my high school and middle school years are in the running.