patios in memphis have been open for a few months, but i held off on going anywhere until i heard how different places were operating. i want to hang out with my friends, but i also want to be safe and make sure i’m not putting myself or others at risk. alex has been equally as cautious, so we decided we would brave the outside world together and invited jeremy to join us.

i had heard good things about the outdoor space at central station hotel downtown, so that was the spot we chose for some friday evening drinks last week. we started inside so that we could give the server our contact information [in case contact tracing is necessary] and place our initial drink orders. once we received our drinks, however, we relocated to the outdoor patio and stayed there for the next 3 hours.

we were able to spread out, since the outdoor tables are all 10-15 feet away from each other. even so, not many people were out there, and i felt more comfortable than i expected to for it being my first time going out in such a long time.

i am still hesitant about a lot of places who are offering outdoor drinks and dining and will continue to be cautious about where i go, but i very much appreciated all of the precautions central station took and am game to return there. i’m not in a place where i’m willing to do indoor dining or drinking, but i am very cautiously open to more experiences like friday’s.

my preferred outing is still a walk or hike, but i like knowing i have options.

have you been out to eat or for a drink since places have reopened? what has your experience been like?

xx