Let me start by saying that I'm not unhappy. In fact, I like to think that I'm pretty happy most of the time. But there are times when I'll stumble into a weird funk — maybe I'm a little too stressed, a little overanxious, more than a little homesick — and it's as if anything little thing could trigger every bit of emotion that I could ever feel. When I fall into these funks, I typically have a hard time getting out of them. And for a while now, I've been trying to figure out how exactly people are supposed just be happy all the time.

Then, it hit me. I'm the happiest when I'm around people who make me happy. You know, the people who know what it takes to make you laugh and smile. The people who know when you need a hug. The people who just make your days so much better in the simplest ways. They're the people who ask you how you're doing and then take the time to truly listen to what you have to say. They're the people who encourage and believe in you against all odds. They're the people who make me happy.

This summer is a huge transitional phase for me. Moving from Virginia to Michigan, I don't really have the opportunity to surround myself with the people who usually fill the void in my heart when I'm upset. While I am surrounded by people every day, finding the ones who bring joy into my life requires that I be vulnerable with people I've just met, allowing them to understand who I am and how I function. I've been fortunate enough to have been placed in an apartment with three amazing women who have made this transition to a new world a little easier. They make conversation easy, and I've found myself beginning to open up more about the person I've become and the person I hope to be. Being so far away from home, I know that one of these days, I will become very homesick and unsure of whether I can make it a few extra weeks before moving back to Virginia.

But I'm learning to continually surround myself with people who bring me this joy instead of shying away when I'm feeling upset. I'm learning to be accepting of others' help when I'm not fully myself. I'm learning to be aware of my attitudes and feelings and learning to let people in when I feel the most alone rather than shutting people out. My happiness, I've learned, comes from the happiness of others. And this summer, I'll surround myself with these incredible people, learning to see the light in every situation and finding that happiness and joy that we all crave to have in our lives.