Weekend-Engagement #163: Summer Picnics From My Childhood <3

When I think about picnics, the first thing that comes to mind would be summer vacation. When I was young, especially during my elementary and high school days, I used to spend my summer vacation in my father's hometown.

There, I and my paternal cousins would stay in one of the rooms in my grandparents house. There would be around seven us who will be sharing the same room because we want to bond until dawn. We'd just talk and play or do any activities together.

In the morning, we'd all go out for a morning walk or jog. We usually go to this place called "Center Mall". Ironically, it isn't a mall, but a huge park with lots of soccer fields.

After jogging or playing some sports, we'd spend some time relaxing either on the benches or just sit on the grass and catch up. Summer vacations during my childhood were the most fun.

If mornings were for jogging and playing sports, afternoons are for playing and picnics.

Well, our picnics weren't the typical ones where we prepare a basketful of food and lay some blankets to sit on. Our picnics were more casual. We either bring some snacks like banana fritters or get some potato chips from the mall before heading to this place.

There are also a bunch of food stalls around the park in the afternoon. They're selling some street foods like tempura, kwek-kwek and even some random snacks. Let me show you one of the "moving snack shops" in the park.

There are a bunch of foods and drinks to choose from, so we rarely prepare our own food. More than the eating part, we enjoy bonding by playing games or simply chatting with each other until the sun sets.

While I was trying to dig into my gallery, I found this cute picture of us just hanging out in the park at night after one of our afternoon picnics. We were so young in this picture. Now, the youngest who was around six that time just turned sixteen last year.


When I was in college, I seldom visit this place. My cousins were also very busy with their school life especially when some of them started college as well. However, when I did visit, we still went to Center Mall as well as another park called "People's Park".


This park opened around ten years ago, so we weren't really able to bond here when we were much younger.

The last time I went there was December of 2019. In the morning, I went to Center Mall for the usual jogging or morning walk with my parents. My cousins are already in various places, so we don't meet that often in this place anymore. I do have a couple cousins who still live in the area, but they're also busy with either school or their own family.

In the afternoon, we had our casual picnic in People's Park with my grandma and my parents. Later that afternoon, two of my cousins and my nephew also came to join us.

Just like the usual, we stayed in one of the gazebos to eat some snacks together and catch up. It was still fun, but I really miss those times when I and my cousins come here for fun.

Our failed attempt to take a jump shot. lol

I guess this was the last time we were complete (well, we have 7 other cousins, but this group were the ones I used to spend my summer vacations with). This was taken about ten to eleven years ago.

A couple of years after this, two of them migrated to Canada, the other two got their own family. The youngest is still a senior high school student and lives in this place. And the last one works here in Cebu, so we sometimes meet together with our older male cousin.

The summer vacations in my childhood were simply the best. I love and miss my paternal cousins so much. We do hangout online, but it's still different from when we could do morning jog or play sports together and have our afternoon picnics in the park.

I hope to see them in person again someday. I hope to have another picnic with them.

It was quite nostalgic talking about this, so thanks for the opportunity. See you next time! (^^,)/