Local Destination: Your Neighbor/Friend's Backyard

This is the very first of my Local Destination mini-series within the Daily Vacation blog!  Each Local Destination post with either discuss a broader idea of something you can take advantage of anywhere you live (like today's topic), or it will announce or review a specific point of interest near in my own area.  As time goes on I would love to have followers be able to guest author about Local Destinations where they live.

Today I am going to discuss the friend or neighbor near you who has that very appealing backyard.  They have a great patio, a large deck, a lovely garden, or (the king of backyard getaways) a pool:

 

 

This particular beautiful pool is owned by a wonderful friend of mine who is kind enough to open her yard up once a week during the summer for others to come together and enjoy.  All during the summer I planned to take advantage of this generous offer of fun and relaxation, but I just never got around to it.  Finally, after beginning the Daily Vacation blog and making more of an effort to live out vacationing at home, I packed up the beach bag, lunch, and my daughter and drove the 40 minutes to spend the day in the company of friends and fellow mothers.  It was a fantastic time, and I couldn't help but keep thinking: Why didn't we do this all summer?

A lot of us have friends, family members, and neighbors who enjoy sharing what they have and are always issuing invitations for us to come and join them.  If these invitations are given out in earnest (and you'll know when they are not), then plan a day or evening to accept and go over.  You don't want the whole season to go by while you continue to say, "Thank you!  We'll have to do that sometime", and then never make it happen.  The next time you are invited to someone's home for tea in the garden, a swim in the pool, a bbq on the deck, or a bonfire in the backyard ask what day would work and set it up.  You will be so glad that you did (and so will your family!).

As a sidenote to those of you that actually have these wonderful yards and homes and amenities, be sure and use what you have and occasionally open it to others to enjoy.  Follow the example of my friend, and schedule a day for others to come by for a swim in the pool or an evening for smores around the fire.  You will certainly reap the rewards of friendship, fun, and memories with your generosity.  Besides, who doesn't want to have that house that everyone loves to be at?  (And the rest of us will thank you greatly for such an amazing Daily Vacation!)