Hi everyone, I hope you have a great weekend! Yesterday, the company I work for celebrated the opening of its very own picnic zone on Fruška gora, the beautiful national park and mountain in Vojvodina, north province of Serbia.
We earned the right to create this space through the points we collected on our free mobile app designed to help people explore nature more easily. The app features hiking and biking trails, routes with detailed information, picnic spots, and attractive locations across Serbia.
It was wonderful to see how something we built to bring people closer to nature also brought us together and our families and friends.
The opening event was everything we hoped it would be, a joyful picnic filled with laughter, music, children's games, and relaxing moments under the trees.
The picnic zone had a playground for kids, but besides that they were free to explore nature and play in the forest. We also had fun playing volleyball and badminton with them.
I was active almost all day with the kids, but I also found some time for simply lying back in the hammocks. Those were precious moments, although rare.
But looking at the sky is something I would like to have more often. Simply looking at the tall trees and connecting with myself, which I usually don't have time for.
Or watching the sunset, an amazing moment...
My kids had an amazing time, especially when they got the chance to walk my friend's little dog. She and I hadn't seen each other in a long while, and it felt special to reconnect there, with her baby in her arms and our kids playing together. Also, my kids really liked orienteering.
There was good food and drink at the picnic, so you could refresh yourself at any time.
My colleagues also brought their families and there were a lot of kids around who enjoyed this day together with us.
Such events are often organized in my city Belgrade, but it was much nicer here because the mountain is fresh and the air is clean. Lately, I appreciate nature and events where connection with nature is realized more and more.
I also enjoyed watching people resting in a relaxed atmosphere. It encourages me that we haven't fallen into a busy, continuous rut, even though it sometimes seems that way. We need more moments like this, I'm sure.
For me, the highlight of the day was watching my kids enjoy themselves so freely, while I could simply breathe, look around, and feel grateful for the simple things, nature, friends, family, and community.
Fruška gora gave us the most beautiful backdrop, and our picnic zone is now a place we'll return to many times, to celebrate life outdoors.
I hope that nature will be preserved here for a long time. If you ever find yourself in the vicinity, stop by, you will surely rest and enjoy the environment.
Thank you for reading. I hope that you also have the opportunity to enjoy days like this.
Jelena