How to Enjoy Winter

It does make a difference to embrace the season. I live in Minnesota, and one of my favorite times of year is the first weekend of February, when there are several outdoor events around the Twin Cities, now bundled under The Great Northern festival. There are ice castles, hockey tournaments, a luminary loppet, and more. We bundle up and get out all winter long to enjoy the snow and winter exercise, but I also love how cozy things get inside too. Christmas lights are left up into the New Year when days are still very short and dark, neighbors have glogg and dinner parties, breweries stay busy, and several of our favorite restaurants have fireplaces.

I looove winter!! I’m in my office looking at the snow falling right now. It’s piled high on the tree branches and on the streets here in northern Canada. Cozy nights in, snow-quiet, candles, skiing and skating, big Baffin snowboots and heavy sweaters.. it’s only a few months, why not enjoy it? :)

Ever since we visited Minnesota last January, I’ve been much more appreciative of our milder Colorado winters. Nothing makes you love 20- or 30-degree days more than knowing it could be -17 with a wind chill of -40 haha.

I hated winters most of my life (I don’t ski…or snowboard…or snowshoe…or generally enjoy being out in the cold/snow for any reason whatsoever) but I’ve somehow come around to them in my 30s. I think it’s because I now appreciate that it is literally just a season of life, and it will pass. Also, climate change is starting to make Denver summers absolutely unbearable, so the winter ends up being a nice reprieve :(

My biggest change has been to focus on the COZY. Cuddling up under a soft blanket with my cat and a book. Eating dinner by candlelight and the glow of the Christmas tree. Treating myself to a massage after work and enjoying the warm table and darkening treatment room as the sun sets earlier. Picking up decadent hot chocolate mix at our favorite spice shop and topping it with homemade whipped cream. Convincing my husband to go to bed earlier for extra cuddle time now that it gets dark so early! Sometimes it’s the little things that make it seem not so bad after all :)

Haha love this. I’ve finally found something I actually like about winter – the sunsets! Took me 35+ years to realize there’s something magically different about the light and colors in the sky during the colder months. I’ve been making a point to glance out my kitchen window while making dinner to appreciate them.

Whatever gets you through it! haha (add: drinking 20 cups of hot tea per day)

Love this! I wonder if you guys also aim to hire POC/LGBTQIA+ cartoonists?

(Chuckles, as she eats her peppermint bark…)

Too funny – and all tactics I use! I’ve also recently started walking to and from work – I live in Iowa (the high the last few days has been around 35) and the distance from my house to my work is about 2.5 miles, and takes me a little over half an hour to walk. I can’t believe how incredibly enjoyable it is to get bundled up and spend a hole half hour with my own thoughts in the crisp air. It’s really fantastic!

I live in Miami where winter is just less hot, but I do all of these to psychologically embrace winter! :)