Picking a favourite season is difficult. Summer, there’s the beach. Autumn, it’s crisp. Winter, it’s time to rug up. Spring, flowers are blooming, the weather is improving and the days are starting to get longer again. Each time of year has its benefits and sentimentality, but for me, the latter is the season in which I tend to appreciate the change in weather most.
Spring is, of course, a respite from the cold, but it also heralds in the half of the year when we return to the beaches, get active and inspired, and dust off the old rug and cheese board. It is a season for picnics, one enjoyed best in a beautiful outdoor setting with a set of quality wireless speakers.
But there are other truths widely held but not always articulated regarding picnicking that pertain to more than just sunny weather and good music.
Picnics are delightfully simple.
When I think about all of the times I’ve enjoyed picnics, most are admittedly from my youth. Whether that has been as a child at a large event like Carols in the Domain or down on the shoreline on a family summer holiday, these quaint occasions have always celebrated the epitome of coming together – enjoying the bare essentials of food, nature, good conversation and music.
Now flash forward to a different season, a season of life (yes, see what I did there…), and there is good reason to renew your appreciation of the humble picnic.
Your mid-twenties, as I’ve written about before, are a time of great change, when goals, ambitions, values and direction all seem to bubble over and level out. An important part of this process is finding time to come back to the middle and reflect on life – alone or with your loved ones.
These are the times that allow us to speak about old topics in new environments or dwell on, with nostalgia, the life lessons we’ve learned.
When I ponder why picnics often allow us to open up like this I assume it’s because picnics don’t go anywhere or do anything for participants, unless you invest some of yourself in them.
3 things to set the scene at your next picnic:
Ambient music
Video Pro offer some great wireless speakers that will add that little extra touch of enjoyment to your afternoon. Nothing sets the scene for great chat like the right kind of tunes.
A good read
I was recently gifted a copy of Kinfolk Table, a stunning coffee table book with recipes and stories for small gatherings which celebrates this idea. It’s a tabernacle of wonderful ideas that may inspire your get together with friends.
An open mind
Whether you’re catching up with an old friend or stepping out with your inner circle, who knows what will come of some quality time with a clear, honest and open mind.
There isn’t a better way to do this than with a bottle of red wine, plastic cups, some moderately priced crackers and dips.
So, with a change of seasons in both the weather and in life in general, now has never been a better time than to pack a basket and enjoy life.
This post was written with support from Video Pro.
