We all crave happiness. We seem to find happiness as though it’s a unique object to be discovered and treasured. We are constantly riding the journey to attach this state of being to tangible objects.

However, being back in the motherland provided me with a different perspective.

One of my favorite cities in India is Mumbai. As my sister is getting engaged in Chennai, my family and I decided to make a stop at Mumbai before heading to the extravagant ceremony. It had been more than 10 years since I visited the city of Bollywood and I was thrilled to return to this beautiful city.

As I set foot on the road outside the airport, I smelled the crisp air that was unique to the city. Seeing the unbeatable traffic, hearing everyone honk their car horns, and witnessing the motorcycles drive in a zigzag manner, I was reminded of the civilians' comfort with the lack of structure and organization.

We were fighting our jetlag as we stepped out to explore the city and devour in authentic Indian food. The buildings seemed old and the roads were filled with objects I was unable to identify but I sensed the same invigorating energy I felt about a decade ago. The breeze blew my hair and men sold fresh coconut water on every other street we turned. These small aspects seemed to draw big smiles on my face.

When we reached the lobby of our hotel, the staff members wore traditional white and golden sarees and veshtis in the spirit of Pongal, a festival celebrated in the southern part of India. The chefs had a different menu consisting of Southern Indian delicacies in light of the festival. I was surprised to see local Mumbaikars celebrating festivals and embracing cultures from different parts of India.

Although we covered a majority of the places in our itinerary, my heart sank as we headed back to the airport. Sitting in the plane and departing the beautiful city made me realize the pure essence of happiness.

Happiness can be found anywhere. No matter where we are or what we are surrounded by, being happy stems from within.

We carry the emotion of joy in our hearts no matter where we set our foot in this world. It’s simply due to our ability to channel that specific emotion we claim ourselves to be happy and radiate positivity.

Our happy endings are destined to occur if we set our minds to it.