Last week I was looking ahead to the weekend weather and saw a beautiful, sunshine-filled day coming our way. I reached out to all of my friends in the area to let them know I would be in the park behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a picnic if they wanted to stop by.

I packed a bag full of healthy foods — caprese kabobs, fruit salad and homemade spring rolls loaded with vegetables and a thinly sliced piece of chicken topped with a crunchy peanut butter sauce. These are the foods I crave in warmer weather for freshness and hydrating crunch. I also packed some spiked seltzers, Coronas with lime, my beautiful new Tarpestry picnic blanket, a speaker for tunes and my hammock, just in case we got a spot near some trees.

Being at the park the weekend before, I knew how popular the area was on nice days. The grassy areas fill up with large groups of friends, families visiting Philadelphia for the day, and dogs playing Frisbee with their owners. In this current day, with COVID blocking us from seeing people close to us as often, hanging out safely in an open-air space brought back a sense of normalcy. We picked a spot with a view of Boathouse row on one side and the art museum on the other — the best spot for photos. There were no trees in this area, so my pale winter skin had little protection.

As the afternoon went on, more friends arrived with more snacks and some additional beverages. We spent the entire afternoon catching up, laughing, sharing funny memories and relaxing. Before long, we realized the sun was setting and the beautiful, sunny day in the park was coming to an end. The cool spring breeze chilled my sunburnt skin as I got into my Uber to go home. It was a lovely day well-spent with friends.

— Audrey Lee, assistant editor