Maybe bizarre. My happy place is a new brewery taproom.
Visiting some different places. Experiencing what other beer fanatics have set up as their special place. Tasting what they’ve been able to put together. Looking for that “diamond in the rough”. Tasting a beer from a small spot that’s great or even better than some of the best.
I’ve been to several hundred around the U.S. and 7 countries. It’s a fun and tasty hobby.
I love an oak forest.
I know, I know, they’re fascist. They were planted on orders of the Napoleon administration as they violently captured the region where I live. Their dropped leaves activly inhibit growth of most other plants.
Yet. It feels like walking into a cathedral, visiting an oak forest. What am I saying. I’ve walked into cathedrals, it didn’t feel that way.
I just love them.
I love liminal spaces so much. Not the cg nonsense ones with the weird pools or endless test cell rooms but real ones. Hallways that fell crammed into buildings, like they build the rooms before realizing they need to be accessible. Rooms that have been converted into other rooms but will have the remnants of it’s original use, like a stairway turned closet that still has the stairs as woefully inefficient shelves. Bedrooms that still have piping for the kitchen appliances that used to be there. Legal offices turned into studio apartments.
I love things like this.
What aspect of this appeals to you? I’m having a hard time understanding the appeal of it.
I liken it to the feeling of a room you’ve just reorganized or when the seasonal lighting changes and everything feels familiar but just a little different. These spaces feel like but permanent. It’s not uncomfortable, just not common. Spending time in these places helps me think about the way things are arranged.
Thanks for the perspective, that makes sense!
Canadian forest.
My ideal way of life would be a stone & log cabin in a secluded area of forest with a small stream or lake in view of the windows. Give me a cozy fireplace crackling as i sit at my PC/in front of TV sipping scotch and looking out into nature. A nice firepit outside to grill steak and enjoy a beer or mulled wine, and some quiet days with a fishing line in the water, dont even care if i catch a single thing for the day.
Mountains where I can see clouds rolling gently over peaks and trees. No matter how often I see it I’m always filled with an overwhelming sense of peace and awe
Places that are abandoned, even for just a few hours. Old home that was just walked away from years ago. Mall or airport that’s just closed for the night. Chernobyl. They all have a vibe of once having life, but no longer that makes me feel like an archeologist or something.
Space!
A spaceship is the ultimate symbol of freedom!
I feel like spaceship freedom is the SciFi embodiment of American “freedom of the open road” propaganda.
For me it’s the idea of a self sufficient spaceship so I don’t have to go to anyone for anything. Zero needy!
That I can get behind. I’d love to build a windmill over my house and store extra energy as hydrogen or springs. I don’t have to be cost effective of I’m not participating in the economy.
Yeah, but being stuck to a patch of land means you can’t warp away when the pirates come.
That’s what the excess hydrogen canisters are for.
Bed. Sleeping is the best.
This is a weird one, but grocery stores for cultures other than my own.
For one, there’s SO MUCH cool shit and delicious foods I never even knew existed. I think the biggest factor though is it’s the closest I’ve ever gotten to actually traveling. Can’t afford the real thing.
While I also love their restaurants and cultural events, there’s something about being served or attempting to showcase major cultural highlights in some event that kills the authenticity of the experience.
In their grocery stores, I’m surrounded by that same culture, but none of it’s about me: the other shoppers don’t give a fuck about me, the staff only interact at the checkout… and other than that it’s just me and a can of… some kind of sauce? I can’t read it… but some elderly Asian woman just grabbed two of them and the rest of her cart is filled with what will undeniably become an amazing meal… fuck it, I’ll give it shot!
The drinks and junk food too are also usually a safe option to find something both very different from what I’m used to and very tasty.
Definitely spent more than a few bucks on things that weren’t… eh… compatible with my palette, but finding out is part of the experience.
Idk. Weird thing to get excited about, but it’s a good time.
Coffee shops and pubs when they are cozy and have that atmosphere of life.
College campuses. They almost always make me think that’s what utopia would be like.
That’s quite the surprise, as I’ve had exactly the opposite response.
Usually campuses are the only places rationally designed to be highly accessible to people. So they can be walked. You can go from place A to place B on foot, usually under shade, either from a canopy, tree sided paths, or human scale adequately proportioned buildings. They also tend to consider and include amenities like parks, snack and drink stands, on the way. And also several cool third places like libraries, auditoriums, study halls, athleticism stadiums and cafeterias. Places where you can exist and occupy without having to consume. Finally, they usually confine cars to parking lots and prohibit their traffic inside the campus, making it a quieter and clean air space.
My point is, college campuses are sometimes literally how humans are the happiest to live.
Add: also consider how sometimes luxury resorts resemble the layouts and characteristics of college campuses. Self contained spaces where you can go everywhere and engage in all activities without having to sit on a car.
yeah that’s really true
I really like airports. I’m not entirely sure why, but I think it probably has to do with the complex design and (hopefully) focus on a good traveler experience. Good airports have to have an easy-to-follow layout, but the amount of things to be discovered in an airport is also oftenvast and plentiful. I also just really love the architecture and interior design of my local airport.
I love libraries. I used to spend a lot of time in them when I was a kid. I still have my 16 digit library card number from when I was a kid memorized.
Salt marshes - they were everywhere where I grew up and they’re absolutely lovely to explore (as long as you use proper precautions).
A nice old style pub, preferably with a horseshoe shaped bar. Just something peaceful for me about a nice old style pub.
