How to say it?

When I was in 7th grade, RC's English Language Lab had a chart on the wall with the question "When are you happy?". I really believe that to this day, I haven't been able to answer that question. I can recall times when I feel elated,content,pleased,thrilled or satisfied. But how do you truly define happiness?

Tonight,I had a lovely evening shopping with JJ and Shoopster which ended with a nice Italian meal and delectable Ben&Jerry's ice cream. I brought some dessert home and I'm curled up on my comfy couch in my oh-so-lovely robe (God bless Nautica!). A kind stranger is playing soft romantic piano melodies on an mp3 cd and the new Hugo Boss cologne I'd tried out still lingers in the air. Good food,good friends,good music,comfy positioning.....not entirely happy but definitely content!

Nights in grad school when we used to walk down Clifton Avenue to the UDF outlet near campus. Great ice creams and milkshakes at dirt cheap prices. The walk back was part of the experience...crossing the Hillel Jewish center, stopping for a few minutes at one of the benches on Clifton to observe the people who scurried at traffic lights, enjoying the manicured lawns of Good Samaritan hospital. One of life's simplest pleasures on a breezy night. 

Travelling to India in April last year. The trip had been long overdue but a small surprise had been built into it. After taking off early from work, I rushed home to change and get ready just in time for Yago to arrive. The excitement didn't build up until the friendly United Airlines representative handed me my boarding passes for my flights on Singapore Airlines. Holding those passes brought me into the reality of the moment with a jolt. I was actually headed home after 3.5 years. I'd never been away from home so long. The excitement was diluted by the fact that I was planning to surprise them, unsure of how they'd handle it. The final leg of the journey from Singapore to Chennai seemed to take the longest. That rush of emotions I experienced when I read a sign in Tamil for Chennai's Fire Service on the airport's grounds. How many years had it been since I'd seen the bustling city's narrow streets and large crowds!Anticipation. 

Pure happiness? Still trying to figure that one out.