WHERE HAPPINESS LIVES

A site dedicated to helping people exhausted by the noise of modern life rediscover joy, human connection, and emotional grounding through lessons learned living with and photographing Buddhist monks throughout Asia.

A group of young monks wearing at the Thimpu Dzong in Bhutan

THE JOURNAL

Reflections on Joy, Stillness and Human Connection

A group of Thai Buddhist monks dressed in traditional saffron robes meditating while seated cross-legged in Bodh Gaya India

The Journal

A young monk carries a pot of Tea at a the Thisky Monastery in India

The Quiet Exhaustion of Modern Life

Paul Berger seated with a warm monk robe at the Pema Ts'al Monastery in Pokhara, Nepal

My Happiness Journey

THROUGH THE LENS

Images  taken in my time with Buddhist monks across Asia

A young monk and an older monk sitting together, wearing traditional robes, in Gasa Bhutan
Tiger's Nest monastery in Paro Bhutan built more than 3,000 meters high into a rocky mountainside in Bhutan.
Colorful prayer flags hanging across a narrow street with shadows cast on the cobblestone pavement, a brick wall on the right, and a stone wall at the end of the street, under a bright blue sky.

Where Happiness Lives explores happiness, belonging, mindfulness, and the quiet beauty woven into everyday life through immersive storytelling, documentary photography, and reflections inspired by fifteen years spent traveling and photographing Buddhist monks throughout Asia.

In an age of burnout, loneliness, and constant distraction, the goal of this site is to offer readers a calmer, more connected, and more meaningful approach to happiness. While no website can provide all the answers, I hope these stories, photographs, and reflections encourage you to slow down, think differently about the life you are living, and recognize the joy, connection, and meaning that may already exist around you.

Seeing Joy from a

new perspective.