Year in Review

Belated 'Happy Birthday!' to The Pursuit of Happy Meals, started one year ago.

I've caught nostalgia while dusting off this blog for my Norway adventures. But I found it impossible to romanticize McDonald's more than I already do, so I downloaded Picasa. I even googled "Pursuit of Happy Meals" as a narcissistic measure of web-stature. Much to my dismay, I am not alone. Existentially threatened by this more gluttonous McBlog, I want to defend my raison d'etre before leaving the country for some time.

This blog boils down to one inspiration: despite its best efforts to convince us otherwise, McDonald's sells memories--not food. The Dollar Menu features cheap fixes for the nostalgia-junky, the child in us all with a voracious appetite for reliving our McMemories. That's what McDonald's means to me. It's more than just-okay food and spotty service. But McDonald's-- like this blog-- is not unique.

Life is full of those moments when something real makes you dream of heaven. It's like a Rosenquist with dull pieces that don't fit together, and every once in a while it just works. For an instant the colors are vivid, and you smile. And you chase any clues to escape life's labyrinth.

This is a journey on Crete. This is a journey to Norway. This is a taste-ful adventure. This is compassion. This is the Pursuit of Happy Meals.