Nebraskaland Magazine
So tell me, when was the last time you got out of the house and went outside to play in the great outdoors?
You know it really doesn’t matter how extravagant your outing is, the important part is that you got outside.
Now getting outside can have different meanings for each of us; quiet time for you, getting the kids outside for an adventure, being with family and friends, getting some exercise or just to go out for the fun of it.
We all need quiet time every once in a while…time to think, reflect and to renew our souls.
During the last snow storm; the big fluffy snowflakes were falling gently from the sky. It was like a cleansing of the air and for me it was mesmerizing to watch, it gave me time to reflect on the things going on in my life, it brought clarity and a sense of renewal for me, just by being out in the snowfall.
Our (my husband and my) kids are all grown up but I love getting my grandkids outside. For small kids getting outside for even an hour or less gets them inspired to be outdoors; it helps them to learn and gain many more meaningful experiences than they would ever learn by being inside all the time. My 4-year old granddaughter knows more about the outdoors than many adults that I know. Now I don’t drill these things to her, but we take the time together to go do little hikes, even in the snow or cold weather. She loves being out in any type of weather, which is great! The best part is – we spend time together.
We have had some really nice weather a couple different weekends; one of those weekends our son and grandson were back home in North Platte and we had a great time being outside. The weather was beautiful and we were anxious to get outside with our family, some friends and their kids. We really didn’t do much, but it was a fun time together. We dug in the sand – even made some sand angels, we enjoyed the view and company and who is too old to skip rocks or throw sticks into the water anyway?
Then we pulled out some targets and guns for a little shooting and some plinking fun. Of course safety is a must with kids around but when you educate them at a young age they learn the rules of firearm safety and how much fun it can be to go shooting even if it is just at targets.
We are truly blessed to live in a state where there are so many places to go to enjoy quiet time or to make memories literally right in our backyards! There are public access areas, state parks and recreational areas everywhere, each with their own unique opportunities to have fun on. You can have a winter picnic, set up some targets for plinking, take short or long nature walks, bird watch, take pictures, or simply sit by the water. Winter, spring, summer or fall our state has it all! OK that was a little cheesy but it is so true.
Again, you don’t have to be an extreme enthusiast to enjoy the outdoors and you don’t have to spend all day doing it – an hour or two in the outdoors is revitalizing – make your time outside an adventure.
I hope this inspires you to load up the family or some friends and get outside to enjoy all Nebraska has to offer!
