The View From Here – Picnics Are The Best

How do you feel about picnics?  It is one of my most favourite things about summertime.

Eating outside is the best.  Outdoors.  Fresh air.  Sunshine on your face.   It just makes me happy.

First – it reminds me of being a kid.  We had so many picnics.  I remember them so well.  Maybe it was at a fun place like African Lion Safari or Niagara Falls.  Maybe it was just something fun in the summer.  Nostalgia is powerful.

What is it about a picnic that makes it so fun?  The food?  The fact that you are eating outside?

I found a little spot in the back of the radio station parking lot and I have been spending my lunchtime outdoors and it feels amazing.

No phone.  No social media.  No distractions.

Alone with my lunch.   Sometimes I will pack a sandwich like I had when I was a kid.  Nothing says summer picnic like a peanut butter and jam sandwich with a side of potato chips.

I enjoy the quiet.  I enjoy the time to slow down and appreciate my surroundings.  The birds chirping and flying over head.  The wildflowers that are growing alongside the back parking lot area.

Today I looked at the sky, and was in awe of the clouds.  So many different shapes and sizes.  The look of a storm brewing.

Is there something you still do this time of year because it reminds you of childhood?  Or reminds you when your kids were little?

When I was home with my kids when they were so much younger we would go on “adventures”.  Whether it was the animal farm or a local park and we would pack a picnic lunch.  My kids would get to chose a few fun foods.  And we would take our lunch somewhere and have an adventure day and it was the best!

I miss those days now that my kids are grown, but on those days when I miss them the most, I might just pack up a small picnic lunch like we used to have and take it somewhere quiet.  And just sit and reflect and enjoy the moment.

Life is too busy and can feel too hectic and overwhelming at times.   Maybe we need a few more picnic lunches.

Categorised in: Afternoons

This post was written by Carrie Buchanan