A winter photoshoot at the icy cold McMicheals Creek in PA.
What I've been trying to do, is learn how to enjoy winter's icy stillness, and learn how to go with the flow of the season rather than fight here. Here are some things I’ve learned to embrace the season:
1. It’s ok to slow down. Winter is a time metaphorically and physically when Mother Nature shuts down. Goes to sleep. The world quiets but it’s not dead. It’s a time for contemplation and reset; getting ready for the growth and rebirth of spring. You can do the same for yourself. I’ve always had a problem with slowing down and relaxing without feeling guilty like “well I should be doing SOMETHING with my time” or “I can’t just spend the day watching Netflix or reading that book I always wanted to read.” Actually you can, and you should. Winter is also a great time to plant the seeds of change. After the new year, many of us have New Years revolutions or goals we want to achieve, but the cold weather can often hinder that action. Get your ducks in a row during your hours inside this winter, whether it’s cleaning up your apartment or cleaning up for finances, so once spring comes, you can hit the ground running!
2. Get outside! (Even if it’s for a little bit). Yup, you heard that right. And I HATE being cold with a passion. But if you’re anything like me who is happiest outside or in nature, winter probably sucks for you too because you’re not getting your nature fix. This past New Years rather than participate in the frenzy of sparkle and champagne soaked parties in the city, I craved a closer connection to nature. I headed down the shore and stayed with friends who lived in Asbury Park, New Jersey. It was a quiet time in filled with Chinese food, getting tattoos and practicing witchcraft (don’t ask!) and New Year’s Day we headed to the beach to walk around. Being a north east girl myself, I was surprised that I’ve never actually seen the beach let alone walk on it in the dead of winter. It was literally 11 degrees, and probably colder with the wind chill factor coming off the water, but it was truly spectacular. There was something about the mixture of that bitter cold filling my lungs, the complete desertion of the shore line, and the sound of the waves crashing was nothing short of pure bliss. Now granted we didn’t last long because my fingers were turning white even through my gloves, but wow was my breath taken away. So get outside, walk around somewhere near water, near the forest or even a local park. Be quiet. Take it all in. You won’t be disappointed. And then run like hell back inside when you’ve had enough.
New Years Day. Asbury Park, NJ.
If you look closely, you'll notice snow on those rocky dunes.
3. Plan a cold weather activity. For those of you who ski and snowboard, you’re probably in your glory this time of year. Surprisingly even though I grew up in the Pocono Mountains, I never really took up the hobby. It probably had something to do with that one time I put skis on and my cousin dared me to go down a flight of stairs. That didn’t end well for me, and I had my first broken bone before I ever hit the slopes, but I digress. Even those of us who have not embraced winter sports, find a place to go snow tubing or even rent a cabin in the mountains with friends. Right now I’m in the process with a group of friends to rent an Airbnb for Presidents’ Day weekend. While some hit the slopes, I will be mastering that whole snow bunny thing, enjoying the hot tub as it snows and enjoying some seasonal cocktails by the fireplace.
5. Don’t hibernate as soon as you get home from work. Ok, my friends who are reading this are going to be laughing because I’m the biggest offender of honkering down as soon as I get home from work. Sweatpants, my couch, Netflix, red wine. You know, the works. And I don’t hate it. If anything I probably enjoy it too much. A friend of mine actually owns this bear onesie, and I’m starting to think I need to invest in one as well. Butttt, what I do need to do is embrace more balance. Life slows down but doesn’t completely stop in winter. Even though it’s cold, dark and icy out, it might be a good idea to grab dinner with friends, check out a new movie or hit up the local pub for a night cap. If anything to warm up right?
6. Practice hygge. Practice what you ask?! It’s the danish word for the art of cozy (pronounced hue-guh) and I definitely have this aspect of winter on lock down. It’s all about the comfy soft clothes, fuzzy socks, lighting candles and burning incense when I get home (my favorite!!) I also love indulging in hot showers or baths with my favorite essential oils. Right now my favorite is eucalyptus to clear out my sinuses when I have a stuffy nose. I also love indulging in the cozy aspects of food and enjoy soups, stews and hot tea. And of course a good hot toddy, which according to my father, is the cure for anything.
7. Make your home the place to be. If you have to be stuck indoors more than you normally would, make your home a cozy and happy place to be. For me, it’s a time where I’ve enjoyed cooking for myself again. And I’ll make it a ritual by pouring myself a glass of red wine, and putting a record on while I chop and sauté. This whole process, as simple as it may be, really transports me to a happy and content place. Like who doesn’t want to enjoy a nice pasta dish with wine while jamming out to Elton John and the Beatles in the background. And I’m never without lighting candles, burning incense and diffusing my oils everywhere in warm spicy scents like cinnamon, clove and evergreen. Just heaven.
8. Host a game night. I’ve been known to host an epic game night. Like to the point where the police may have been called due to noise violations (whoops?!). Game night is the best way to keep an active social calendar, have all your friends over AND still get to wear yoga or sweatpants if you want to. Pot luck style events are my favorite so no one is left shelling out tons of money for food and wine. Have everyone bring a bottle of their favorite wine or a 6-pack of beer, and if everyone is feeling ambitious, an appetizer. If not, ordering a couple pizzas or Chinese food totally works too. One of my favorite new games is What Do You Meme, which is a game very similar to Cards Against Himanity, except with photo cards and you create memes. Genius. Also just learned about Telestrations After Dark Edition, which I highly suggest. It’s made for some awesome inside jokes.
9. Find beauty in everything. There’s something really magical in the ability to find beauty in everything. Even in the most unexpected and sometimes conventionally ugly places. I’ve always been one who’s been drawn to darker things. As a child and teenager I had an affinity for dilapidated and abandoned buildings. I remember photographing them and wanting to explore inside to see what secrets lie inside, only for my parents to yell at me for 1. trespassing on property that’s not mine and 2. worried I would fall through the floor of one of these abandoned houses. Point taken I suppose, but I still continue to find beauty in things that are unconventional and sometimes ugly. Winter can sometimes be like that. It’s a season of sheer bleakness. Everything is a shade of gray, void of color and life. Back home in PA, I've started to embrace the art of winter hiking and even discovered these amazing abandoned stone buildings that we've started calling "the ruins" - which according to my father were old ice houses back in the 1800's. How cool is that?
Ruins from ancient civilizations? Or old ice houses from the 1800's?
Stopping for a little photoshoot at "the ruins."
As an urban dweller, winter can get extra ugly with piles of black dirty snow and disgusting realization how much of your sidewalk is truly covered in dog urine. But the other day my friend and I were driving back from a shopping trip to homegoods and stuck in traffic outside the Lincoln tunnel. In bumper to bumper traffic we sat there, as the sky was turning dark. We looked over at the concrete wall next to us that was covered in snow and ice, and a charcoal gray color from the dirt and grime from the city. But it was actually glistening with sparkles. My friend then says “look how pretty that is, it looks like crystals forming in the rocks” I feel like that’s the perfect analogy for winter. Look for the sparkles within the dirty snow.
10. Know that spring is right around the corner. This is mother nature’s harsh lesson for us to learn. To practice patience and help develop optimism when things are tough. Just like the phases of the moon, everything works in cycles, and nothing lasts forever. “This too shall pass” is what nature whispers to us every winter.
So that’s my comprehensive list on how I'm trying to embrace winter. Despite my sheer hatred for it, I'm attempting to surrender to the cold and try to enjoy the ride, while I anxiously await for spring to arrive.
