spring outside: first meal in the sunshine
a rite of spring. sneaking outside during the warmest part of the day to get your daily dose of vitamin d.
I cook up some pasta, or warm up some beans, or throw together a sandwich. I plate it up, slip on my shoes and step out into the back garden. I sit down on the step and the sun shines down on my face. I soak it in. Lunch in the sunshine! This may be my very favorite day of spring: the first day when the snow is off the ground, the sun is out and the temperature is high enough to sneak outside during my lunch break.
The exact day varies. In 2021, I didn’t eat lunch outside until May 21. The next year (brave Jo!) it was much earlier on March 19. In 2023, I had my first meal outside on May 7. As we get further into May, we’re heading into prime dining al fresco season. I am over the moon!
I don’t have the loveliest space for it - a small enclosed yard consisting of very well worn mulch and a tall fence that both creates privacy and blocks out the sun. For me the time outside is really all that matters, so I can’t complain. I’m thankful to have any outdoor space to spend a few minutes in right in the middle of the day. Before I moved here, I lived in a midsize apartment building without any formal outdoor space. Improvising, I’d bring down a beach towel to the sad, patchy grass lining the edge of the building (totally shaded by the tall structure) and just get a little fresh air anyway.
Have you had a meal outside yet this year? Warmer evenings for dinner al fresco are still a few weeks out but if it’s warm enough at lunchtime take the leap and head outside. Sit on a step, a bench, or if you’re lucky enough to have access to a picnic table, spread out like a king! Regardless of the seating, just get outside the next time the weather allows. Gobbling down a sandwich in 5 minutes or a leisurely 30 minute lunch, the sunshine will do you good.
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