Welcome winter! Today is the first *official* day of the coldest season of the four. I feel like most people do not look forward to this season - it’s dreaded by so many. So today - I thought I’d write a short but sweet post offering some fresh perspective - some reasons to LOVE winter. Mostly, I want something positive for myself to refer back to when it’s late stage winter and the holiday magic has long worn off and I’m desperate for it to end and get warmer again (like the rest of you!) 😂I remember last year’s winter feeling particularly long.. I couldn’t wait for it to be over and it felt like it would never end as we kept getting smacked with nor’easter after nor’easter towards the tail end.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the seasons - not just the seasons marked by nature and by the calendar — but seasons of life in general. How seasons come and go, ebb and flow, inevitably changing — and how that has an effect on me and (particularly) my creative process. The natural world is truly wild when you stop and think about! So here are some reasons to love everyone’s seemingly least favorite season:
1. SNOW IS THE FREAKIN’ COOLEST
Sure… snow can be the culprit of a messy commute... a pain in the ass to clear from your car / driveway / sidewalk… all on top of freezing cold temperatures. But have you ever stopped to really think about HOW COOL SNOW IS?! The fact that water can take on this crystallized fluffy form and coat everything in a magical blanket of white?!?! I think it’s just the coolest. 😅And I love how everything feels so fresh right after it snows!
2. It’s the season to slow down.
Well, after the holiday rush / Christmas chaos is over anyways! 🙃It’s the season to take it easy. To breathe, and remember to take care of yourself. To cozy up on the couch by the fireplace with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa. To take a long and relaxing bath with all the fixings. To cook homemade comfort food (soups, baked goods, etc.) and eat them with friends and family.
3. Spending more time indoors can breed new creative ideas and projects.
I’m not sure if it’s just me and maybe I have ADD or just a lack of discipline ??? but I am able to focus on work a LOT better when I’m not distracted by how nice it looks outside, LOL. When it’s sunny and perfect out - all I can think about is wanting to go out there and soak it in. While I do still make a conscious effort to get outside as often as possible even with the colder weather… when it’s too cold to feel my face or limbs - that desire to go outside decreases drastically. 😂It’s the season for experimenting in the kitchen and trying out a new recipe, writing that book you’ve always wanted to write, learning how to weave / knit / crochet, or maybe even creating some new products for your business!
4. BOOT SEASON
AND JACKET SEASON. I mean I am no fashion blogger — but I DO love a good pair of boots. And wearing jackets for the extra pockets. 😉
5. It is the off season for certain travel destinations.
…Which means: LOWER FARES! Lower airfare, lower hotel rates, etc. I love a good deal, and I also love to travel whenever possible (although it’s kinda been awhile.. fingers crossed I can take a trip somewhere new in 2019!) I love a good deal, and also hate crowds - so looking into destinations when it isn’t their peak tourist season is my kind of travel planning. 🙌🏼Even locally — parks and beaches are not as crowded as they are during the warmer months - extra motivation to get outdoors despite the cooler temps!
6. Like every other season - it will eventually come to an end.
And even when you’ve tried to consider all of the magic that winter can bring - the best of us still look forward to spring (and then summer… and then fall) - before winter returns once again. The cycle doesn’t end - and in that cycle, there is a promise of constant change. There is an opportunity we’re given to adapt. To rise and fall and rise all over again.
