A couple of Thursdays ago, I found myself having one of those days.

I don’t mean the kind where your clothes get caught on the doorknob and then you smack your elbow on the counter and then realize a still-damp load of laundry has been neglected in the washing machine for 3 days.

I mean the good kind.

The kind of day where you’re out living your life, doing the things you do all the time, but it kind of feels like vacation. One of those days where regular life makes it really easy to feel grateful and content.

I started this day the way I start many of my days lately. Morning workout and short meditation, eat breakfast outside with the birds and trees if it’s warm enough and inside on the couch looking outside at the birds and trees if it’s not. Shower and get ready. And several days a week, I drive to Bellefonte to my office/studio space and get into my workday there.

On this particular day, my allergy meds were working like a dream, the sun was shining, the temp was perfect, and as I parked my car in the CVS lot across from Bonfatto’s and started walking towards my office, I noticed that the trees in Talleyrand park were erupting with pink flowers. I had a fun new book in my bag and decided a park bench under those trees was exactly the spur of the moment detour this afternoon needed.

I sat and read and people watched for a while and saw the following:

Grandparents watching their two grandsons collect dandelions in the folded up bottoms of their t-shirts so they could be transported to a collective pile by the stone wall overlooking the creek. (Remember making a bucket out of your shirt?!)

A little guy in a bright salmon colored shirt, pacifier in mouth and waving a lunch box, running to get a closer view of the construction equipment across the street and jumping up and down with excitement at the noise and spectacle. (Mom was close behind!)

A lineup of 4 empty strollers on the outskirts of the playground as dads and moms pushed their kids on the swings, held them up to touch leaves, or spotted them as they climbed trees.

A dog and owner hanging out together in the shade.

A teenage couple jokingly harassing each other in the gazebo.

And an unseen kid somewhere counting to ten as his friends ran and hid.

Any one of these moments would have been a day brightener on its own and watching it all happen in front of me as I sat there made me say a bunch of internal thank yous for the flexibility of my current work schedule and life.

But the day still had more to offer.

If you’ve been anywhere in the vicinity of State College lately, you’ve probably heard people talking about the newly-opened Boal City Brewing Co., a quick 10 minute drive away in Boalsburg.

The Rediscover State College team had planned to meet there for an evening hang, to talk about some of our (exciting! Stay tuned!) upcoming projects and to see if this new addition to our local brewery scene really lived up to the hype.

In brief? It did.

We found a couple of chairs on the lawn, pulled a few more from trunks, and laid down a picnic blanket. I was surprised to see so many cars in the parking lot when I pulled in and equally delighted to see that everyone was there. Toddlers and kids, students and young professionals, retirees and…

… dogs. So many dogs!

We watched kids play on the tree swing, a group of friends circle up around the firepit, and others walk out into the lawn with pizzas.

In addition to  Boal City’s own brews, the drink menu was a celebration of local with appearances by Moody Culture’s kombucha, Rothrock’s coffee, Good Intent’s cider, Big Spring’s Talleyrand Cream Bourbon, and Barrel 21’s limoncello.

(Side note: I’m stranded on a desert island and can only pack one of the previously mentioned bevs? Impossible choice. If you have yet to try them all, do yourself the favor! We’re totally spoiled with our talented local brewers, roasters, and distillers.)

Anyway, this “work meeting” reminded me of what’s possible when people are serious about being less serious. About infusing work with fun. About leaving space for evenings filled with beautiful sunsets and yummy drinks and informal brainstorming sessions with creative coworkers who become friends. About building a community that gets to close the laptop, hang out face to face, and work on making the great place we live even greater.

We’re looking forward to lots more days like this as summer approaches!