Plan a summer outdoor activity for your friends!

I don’t have a recipe to post for today, but I did want to make a quick post related to hospitality. Specifically, I wanted to encourage you all to plan a fun group outing yet this summer with your friends.

Today, we went on a inner tube float trip down the Guadalupe River (about 30 miles north of San Antonio) with a group of friends. We had a blast! Some of our friends in Austin organized the trip. We’re so glad they did.

Actually, one of my friends today was commenting how in her circle of friends down in Austin, people look to certain individuals to plan group outings. It seems a lot of people wait for others to do this kind of thing. It got me thinking, you know that’s hospitality too. It’s another way you can be hospitable, without having to open up your home to make it company-ready. And really, people appreciate those who take the initiative to plan events, who are good at organizing all the details.

I think the best group activities are those that get people laughing and relaxing and talking together (rather than something passive, like going to a movie with friends). Today, there were people in the group who didn’t know each other so well. Our friends in Austin invited us, as well as some people we didn’t know. And then we invited some friends from Dallas who didn’t know any of the people from Austin. But you know, when we had to get in the very cold water of the Guadalupe River to launch our tubes, we all started laughing together and it really broke the ice.

Here’s just few ideas of fun group activities you can organize:
*Bowling
*Canoeing
*Tubing
*Rafting
*Hiking
*Horseback riding
*Trip to the arboretum or zoo
*Day at the beach
*Afternoon at the community pool or water park
*Afternoon at the county fair
*Organize a hayride

I am sure there are many other ideas. The point is, if you don’t normally initiate these kinds of activities, why not try it? These kinds of activities are a fun way to build friendships and practice hospitality “on the road," and a wonderful way to build some great memories for the future.

Have fun!
~Becky