Happy States

My friend Jenny said once that coming to visit my family was like “falling into a box of puppies.”  That has made me smile ever since she said it. Seriously, I wonder if I’ve never been paid a higher compliment.

Well, as it turns out–my sweet little family isn’t alone in our puppy-like behavior. It seems that, according to MSNBC’s Live Science writer, Jeanna Bryner, our whole state is scoring like one gigantic canine kennel. In an article on the happiest states in America–Utah is ranked #1. Get that.

* Utah: 69.2
* Hawaii: 68.2
* Wyoming: 68
* Colorado: 67.3
* Minnesota: 67.3
* Maryland: 67.1
* Washington: 67.1
* Massachusetts: 67
* California: 67
* Arizona: 66.8

Apparently, we are also much less neurotic that some of our sister states. THAT I wouldn’t have guessed. Ha ha.

Here is an excerpt:

“Of the personality factors, neuroticism took a toll on a state’s cheery count, suggesting people living in the happiest states are more relaxed than their gloomy counterparts. For instance, West Virginia, Mississippi and Kentucky were ranked as highly neurotic and showed lower well-being scores. Utah, on the other hand, had a significantly lower level of neuroticism than other states.”

If you’d like to read the entire article or to see where your state ranks click on the link below. You might just be surprised to find that you and your neighbors are more content than you thought.

In the meantime, I need to go feed my puppies.

Happy Birthday Daddy!