Our Story
It started with one car ride, one happy moment, and one Facebook status.
Happiness is..
On November 9, 2011, Elizabeth Buechele was driving home from high school down the same back country roads she'd ridden on her entire life. It was unseasonably warm for November in Western Pennsylvania and she had her windows down and her radio up. While she can't recall a single song that played that day, she does remember feeling Happiness. She got home and, like every 17-year-old who thinks they have a world-changing idea in 2011, she logged onto a shared family computer and posted that as a Facebook status. She has never stopped posting.
"Day 1: Happiness is.. those perfect car rides where the radio just plays all the right songs."
That single post, that strangely clear thought moment of pure joy, that seemingly uneventful car ride grew into The Smile Project. Elizabeth still posts "Happiness is.." every single day and is grateful to be chronicling life through snippets of extraordinary wonder in ordinary moments.
Now, all of Liz's "Happiness is" statuses are made available on what we affectionately nicknamed, "The Bubble Site." This digital notebook is a database to search for specific day numbers (might we suggest Day 1000?) or specific dates (might we suggest your birthday?) You can also search by keywords or click on the tags inside the bubbles.
Take a few moments to soak up some joy. You'll be happy you did.
Take me to the Digital Happiness Notebook!
Meet Elizabeth
Elizabeth Buechele (she/her)
With a professional background in the nonprofit industry, Elizabeth feels very lucky to bring her personal experiences and professional expertise to The Smile Project.
Elizabeth is passionate about learning new things and spreading kindness. She enjoys writing, running, traveling, baking, and saying hi to every dog she walks past.
Book Elizabeth to Speak
Elizabeth Buechele speaks on topics of resilience (overcoming hardship to find positivity), kindness (the importance every act of love can make), and the ability to start a movement (the idea that a nonprofit organization can stem from the social media post of a 17-year-old).
“She did a fantastic job and was my favorite presentation that I have ever seen. She knew how to relate to the teenage mind and her interaction with the self evaluation of our fears made it hit home that much more.”
“Liz did an amazing job. I have had similar ideas to start similar activities, but have never done so. This presentation inspired me to do so.”
“It was one of the most inspiring stories I have ever heard. This makes me want to go out and do something to change the world.”
“It was so relatable, and I really had my eyes opened to the ripple effect, and how my writing can actually mean something to someone other than me. One smile can make a big difference.”