His Work: Operating owner of a local Thai restaurant. His daily work includes a variety of things from cooking, cleaning, waiting tables, and preparing sushi.

Mr. Phanthavong adjusts his chair and says “I just feel like this is the best job ever you know? You just can’t beat it. It took me awhile to get here. I made some mistakes with career choices, but I’m finally here and I’m happy. I’m going to be doing this till I probably can’t walk.” Mr. Phanthavong feels like “one of the lucky ones” because he enjoys every aspect of his work and work environment and makes a steady income.

He tells me that he comes to work smiling and leaves work smiling, and sometimes he whistles along the way. He says that “being in contact with people is what I really enjoy” and he offers his own advice saying “life is too short to just worry about money, so choose a career where you’re going to be happy. Be ecstatic to come to work, enjoy work and leave with a smile, and feel like you made a difference in the world somehow.”

I begin to ask him about his workspace and he says “I feel like this is my living room, that this is my house” because it’s so cozy and comfortable. He says that the space is really his comfort zone. A smile comes to his face as he says “it makes you feel better that people leave this restaurant smiling and happy. That’s rewarding in itself… I’m making a difference” not just giving people food. He explains that “If you smile and laugh and have a good time, people are going to smile and laugh with you. So in turn when I do that I feel like I contribute to that happiness in the world, as little as it is, in this small community in Bar Harbor, that people come in here and dine here and leave with a smile.”