I sat down outside with the precious paper boat and began to dig into a long-awaited food truck poke bowl with wooden chopsticks.

The serving didn’t look like much: a sushi rice mound with furikake sprinkles, lightly pickled cucumbers, and glossy pink raw ahi tuna cubes dressed in spicy mayo. Not particularly photogenic. Yet this modest version is my favorite.

After a rough spring, I kept thinking back to that day spent outdoors with family, listening to music, beautiful flowers blooming, savoring each cool bite.