Man, the summer is finally here. Finally. And it’s about time, too. It’s the middle of May, for Heaven’s sake! But today is beautiful, and it’s made all the waiting worth it. It’s around 30 degrees, the sun is out in full force, and there’s a beautiful breeze blowing. I’m sitting out here on my front porch, wind in my hair, watching the world go by and catching up on a bunch of work on my day off. I’ve got a bowl of grapes and a cup of coffee, and I’m pretty happy. Granted, would I be just a teensy bit happier if I were to replace the coffee with a beer or a cocktail? I mean, yes, a bit. But I don’t have any beer or mix, so here I sit.

And I’m just so lucky to be able to sit outside and do work. I think people should do it more often, if they can. I know it’s tough, and a lot of people have to work in offices 9-5 during the summer, and don’t have the opportunity to do their work outside. And that’s a huge bummer. I think that should change. I think it would be great if companies gave their employees places to work outside. Like courtyards or balconies or something. I’m aware that that’s probably not feasible, and least not at the moment, as it wouldn’t really correspond with society’s expectations for an office environment, but maybe one day that could change.

Anyway, Utopias aside, even for those people for whom it is impossible to get outside during the work day, there is no shortage of things to do in our own backyards! As adults – at least, in my adult life – we don’t get outside nearly as much as we did when we were kids. And sometimes there are decent-enough reasons for that, as I’ll describe in a couple of my blog posts. But I think a lot of the time, it’s just easier for us to stay inside. Also, we can be lazy bums. Or we think it’s too cold, or too hot, or we’d rather just binge-watch Netflix.

Well, no longer, I say! Let’s get our butts out there and do some fun stuff outside! Let’s play volleyball in the yard, or run around like idiots on the beach, or toss a frisbee in the park! Because that stuff’s fun, and it’s good for us, and it keeps us all a little younger, and that’s the dream, really. And then one day, if you’ve got kids, who won’t be too lazy and out of shape to play with them.

And I know that I don’t speak for everyone when I say that we don’t spend enough time outside. I try to get out and run as often as I can, and I know lots of people who play soccer or baseball or even ultimate frisbee in the summer. And that’s great! And keep on keepin’ on! I’m writing this blog about fun outdoor activities hoping to inspire all of us, those who are pro-outdoors and those who need a little push, to turn off their laptops (after they’ve finished reading my super-inspiring blog, of course), and get on outside!