It is finally that time of the year. The days get brighter for longer and warm weather is slowly creeping back into my life. I am someone who has a really tough time in the winter, from the overall gloominess of the weather to the freezing temperatures, so once Spring starts to come around, I start to feel a little bit more at ease. I want to share with you some of my favorite activities to do once it gets brighter and warmer!
1) Go Hammocking
I love to sit outside in my hammock. Plus, the possibilities are endless for what you can do while you hang out. Whether you are sitting in a standing hammock in your backyard or in your portable hammock that you have set up on campus or at a local park. You can read, study, write that paper you have been putting off all week, take a nap, hang out with friends, or (my personal favorite) fit as many friends as possible into one hammock since you only brought two. It is a perfect way to get outdoors and enjoy nature without having to sit on the ground!
2) Reading a Book
Reading is one of my favorite ways to pass the time, regardless of the weather, but there is something different about reading with the bright sun coming through your windows as you sit in bed or with the breeze blowing the trees as you lay on a blanket in the grass. It is something that is very relaxing for me and a nice way to distract myself if I am feeling stress with class work or just life in general.
3) Go Hiking
There are so many places to go hiking in Huntignton and the surrounding areas. You can go to Ritter or Barboursville Park. You can take a trip to Beech Fork and go venture onto those trails. You can also go to the trails behind the Huntington Museum of Art. Hiking is a fun way to relax and get some exercise too!
4) Go on a Picnic
Grab a few friends (or you can go solo) and go hang out at the local park or on campus for a meal. You can have each person bring a different food item or pick up food and drinks from a local restaurant. Don’t forget to bring a blanket!
5) Walk and Shop Around Pullman Square
You can go enjoy the nice weather by walking around and supporting all of our amazing local businesses in Downtown Huntington, from Austin’s Ice Cream to the Potted Edge. I can assure you a little retail therapy will be a mood-booster!
6) Go For A Bike Ride
Whether you have your own or not, Marshall has their SoBi bike system on campus to make sure you always have a bike to ride. All you have to do is download the app onto your phone and you log in with your MyMU credentials. Then, you will get a unique code and create a four-digit password to log onto the bikes with and unlock them. This is one of my favorite things to do on campus that I do not think many students are aware we have access to!
7) Help Clean-up A Local Park
Grab a few friends and head to your local park to clean up trash and recyclables that people have left on the ground. This is a fun way to help your community and the earth, enjoy the nice weather, and spend time with friends. Don’t forget to bring gloves and trashbags!