Outside - 31 Things Day 25

I love to be outside. Absolutely love it. I love warm weather. In fact, the hotter, the better. I love the sun, I love the humidity, I love feeling a warm breeze. I don’t even mind the sweat. High 80s and low 90s is my ideal temperature.

When I was young, my parents had us outside all summer. We weren’t exactly prohibited from being inside, but we were always encouraged to go outside. We weren’t really an outdoorsy family, but my dad did take us on an occasional camping and fishing trip, and those are some of my favorite memories.

As a young girl I spent so much time outside. There were tons of kids in our neighborhood who were always outside as well. Playing kickball, ditch, tag, catch, freeze tag and statue tag, hopscotch, jumprope. Walking or riding our bike around the lake. Pulling the wagon as we helped Mom hang Avon bags on the doors of our neighbors (the best). Sitting on the swing or at the picnic table or in a lounge chair reading a book. Sitting on our front porch steps just watching things go by, waiting for something exciting to happen. I remember touching tree trunks and marveling at how the bark felt on my fingers, picking grass and weeds and playing with them in my hand, collecting rocks and even looking at bugs. I feel like I really connected with my childhood backyard. 

And even though winters can be brutal in Minnesota, I remember making snow angels, snowmen, snow forts, shoveling snow and just staring up at the crystal clear winter nights. I don’t like the cold at all, but even winters didn’t keep us in the house all the time.

One of the reasons I loved this house so much was the small yard. I need to be able to get outside. I want my kids to be able to get outside as well.

Before buying, we looked at house after house, and soon realized that if we wanted a house in the city, this was as good as it was going to get for a yard. And it is huge in comparison to many yards in Quito. Most houses have a cemented patio, just big enough for a washing machine. Here we have space for a grill, and grass, and the kids can even play soccer. 

I used to sit outside with a book and think, “This is my own.” It was pure joy putting Nico on the grass, not having to worry about litter or broken glass or who-knows-what-else: all the “normal” things you find in Quito’s parks. 

We don’t take as much care of it as we used to, but when I think about our house I think first of the little yard. It just makes me happy.