Text by SASHA BOUDTCHENKO and OLIVIA MILNE
Art by SAMANTHA HO and LAUREN YAN
PANDEMIC PICNICS A GUIDE TO ESCAPING THE INDOORS
SIPPING AND SNACKING — Juniors Hailey Callan and Natalia Cossio sit on a picnic blanket eating food and spending time outdoors while socially distanced. “I find that picnics are a great way to spend time together with friends while enjoying the outdoors,” Cossio says. “Also, bringing yummy food makes the picnic experience 10 times better.” Photo: Olivia Milne
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S WE SIT ON OUR checkered blankets surrounded by sun-soaked grass, we carefully arrange our dishes full of cracker and cheese assortments and pop open bottles of sparkling lemonade. Just like us, many people are making the most of the beauty of springtime after the cold, quarantined months, as seen with the recent increase of many picnic-goers posting about their experiences through social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. On TikTok, for instance,
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#picnicaesthetic has garnered 32.9 million views, and shows off an endless array of picnics that people have posted on the app. Although traditional picnics aren’t always distanced, they can be easily adapted to fit our current circumstances by having everyone bring individual blankets to sit on. We also recommend ensuring safety bringing individual utensils, hand sanitizer and possibly individually packaged foods in order to follow guidelines from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall, picnics allow for flexibility
and creativity in the locations, food choices and layout, providing an excellent way for us to safely see friends. For those looking for inspiration or guidance for their own picnics — look no further. Step 1: Pick a splendid spot An ideal picnic location is one out in the fresh air, surrounded by greenery. Luckily, Palo Alto offers many local parks to choose from. A staple location is Mitchell Park, which is located near Jane Lathrop Stanford
