Dear god, it's nice outside.

Do you have a yard? No?

Do you have a porch? No? Hmmm.....

Do you have a park nearby? Far away?

Whatever options you have, put on some walking shoes, grab a blanket, pack some fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and a little balsamic, oil and bread and have a picnic. Seriously. Just get outside. Even if it's over lunch and you are eating some awful egg salad sandwich from the 7-11.

I am so in love with Portland summer this year and so happy that I decided to actually participate in the Health Immersion. It is forcing me to leave work early, get out of the house and enjoy the long, mild summer evenings.



At the Health Immersion (formerly bootcamp) we've been doing Pilates in a cute, shady park with big leafy trees. Some days it feels like I literally have to scrape my butt off of the office chair and force myself to go. Afterwards I can hardly believe I seriously considered not going.

For starters, Health Immersion is like summer camp for grownups. I love all of the people in the program. They are mature, fun, and really supportive of one another. Just spending time around a bunch of people focused on living healthier lives is really uplifting for me.

I love the way my towel smells. I just can't get the smell of sunscreen out of it no matter how many times I wash it. And I just don't care. My yoga mat is currently out on loan, but doing Pilates in the grass means a towel works just fine and there is nothing that smells quite as good as the fading aroma of some coconutty sunscreen as you relax after your fourth seal pose (or whatever they call it in Pilates).

The river is just a shot little jog over from the park where the program meets. Last night I sat by the river with two friends, checking out the lights winking on the water, eating warm bread with cheese and oysters and feeling really grateful for all of this time I've been spending outside.