Why I don't hate winter

Winter officially started on December 21, but to me from December 1 to January 2 is really just Christmas season.  After January 2 is when Winter really begins!  It's easier mentally if you think of it that way.

For the last several years our winters have been pretty mild. There is some cold weather in January, by February it warms up, and then BAM out of no where we usually get that one snow storm in March!

Wouldn't we all love to be in the sunny Caribbean during this time, but why not embrace what we have instead of hating it.  I Love Summer the most, but I've taken a new outlook on winter over the past few years and I've begun not to hate it!  Here's why...

1. When it does snow, it's so pretty and snowy runs make for a memorable run.  I love how my park looks like a winter wonderland after a freshly fallen snow and it's not every day that I get to experience that.  I have not had the pleasure of doing a snowy run in my park yet this year.

Runs that I remember doing in beautiful weather last February! Will we be so lucky to have that weather again this year?

2. As winter goes on, it's like a surprise. You never know what you are going to get. It could be 32 degrees one day and close to 60 the next.

3. I work at a school, so I still sit with anticipation when it snows or ices to see if we will have a delay, cancellation, or early dismissal. Our school is very good at keeping us safe. The slightest chance that there might be snow and we will delay.  You never grow too old to be excited about a delay!

4. I have to admit that winter days are the best days to accomplish very little and not feel guilty. Cuddling with pets, reading books, and browsing aimlessly on Pintrest are all perfectly fine to do during the winter.

5. And of course Winter is kind of like Christmas where you are anticipating the first signs of Spring. You know it's coming and you are very eager!



52 comments:

  1. Aw this actually made me look at the bright side of winter! And the cool thing is, in less than three months it will be nice and warm out and we will be counting down the days until the end of school!

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  2. I always thought it was funny when we wanted a delay or snow day more than the kids ;) I just hated having to make up the days at the end of the year.

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    1. We have some long weekends coming up this spring and we will have to make ours up on those Fridays and or Mondays.

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  3. I can do without the sub-zero stuff but I do love the snow. I'm kind of sad it's all going to melt this weekend but I can't argue with temps in the 40s either. I was just thinking about all the awful bugs summer brings. Ugh mosquitoes and ticks.

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    1. I never gave bugs a thought. I don't really notice a lot of bugs and mosquitoes around here in the summer.

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  4. I don't normally hate winter. I like the snow but the bitter cold is a whole other thing. This winter has been really harsh, so no, I'm not loving it. Altho we have seen a lot of sun!

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    1. Yea, sounds like it's been a harsher winter than most in lots of places this year!

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  5. Come live through a winter up here (or even further north). I bet you'd change your tune in a real hurry -- unless you really enjoy gray days, or the only sunny days being in the single digits, how quickly that snow gets dirty, the endless shoveling, the fact that it's so cold I can't even walk the dogs . . . shall I go on?

    Sorry, I've never been a fan of winter. I try my best to not complain too much, because it's not something I can change, but no, not gonna lie, never gonna love it.

    Even if I had enough money to never have to shovel again, there's all the layers that makes me feel so confined, having to knock snow off my boots every time I get into the car, black ice, dirty cars . . .

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    1. Good thing winter doesn't last that long! I'm sure all this makes you appreciate when spring arrives!

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  6. I like winter! This one has been really cold in Chicago, but it's also really beautiful in the deep freeze. I love 30 degree winter running, too!

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    1. This year has definitely started out being a colder winter than usual! I hope it's almost over!

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  7. You know... I like the way you twisted this. I really dislike winter... but without it we wouldn't get the magic of spring... which makes me blissfully happy. :-)

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  8. Ok, I hate winter but this made me stop and appreciate parts of it. I still hate winter though

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  9. You are so right. It has allowed me to be lazy & cuddly & stay home all day. I rarely do that in spring or summer & especially fall.
    & I like the idea its like Christmas.,the anticipation of spring.,I'm already counting down

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  10. I confess I love a snow delay. That extra hour and a half of sleep is amazing! For some reason, I'm struggling more this year with the cold than I usually do. I seem to be always chilled and I just can't get motivated to run outside these days.

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  11. I love number 4! I have absolutely zero guilt about staying in the warm house and cuddling with cats on super cold days :)

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  12. I'm with you on the school delays and closings. I think that sometimes teachers get more excited about the anticipation of these announcements than the students do.

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    1. But then I start to get use to them and get bummed if we don't have one...haha. I guess that's a good thing though because it means Spring is near!

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  13. Colorado is pretty good at having 60-degree days, and then snow storms. I also look at the weather, and if I need to work from home, I do. It's actually fun, because the neighborhood is so pretty when it snows.

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  14. You make a very good argument for loving the winter! I used to think that there was no point on complaining about the weather conditions, weather is weather and it will do its weather thing, but this one has been so cold! I keep reminding myself that we only have about 2 months left of this... but how I wish I lived in Florida some days.

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    1. The way I look at it is that the winter weather does not prevent me from doing things that I love. Of course I won't be swimming, but I don't mind running in the cold.

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  15. I don't mind winter - it's the brutal sub-zero weather we've had this year that I could do without! And, I do love a snow day :)

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  16. I'm not a fan of winter. The one time I did enjoy it was when I was a teacher and we had snow days.

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  17. I don't mind winter either and hope it hangs around a while. I can breathe while I run. I know that will come to a crashing half soon enough when our humidity returns.

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  18. I used to wish so much for snow days, or when I taught during the Polar Vortex, "too cold" days. Thanks for the positive spin on Winter!

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    1. I think this year was the first time we had closed for a "cold" day!

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  19. I've only had a snow day from school once in my life - my senior year of college!

    Very occasionally we have bad winters and have snow days from work, it's a little less fun when there are still deadlines to meet, and we can still work from home anyway. : )

    Anyone else having trouble with the link up? I've tried multiple times in different ways, and it keeps saying there's an error with my image.

    Anyway, trying to link up this post: http://balancingmeanderings.blogspot.com/2018/01/running-in-rain.html

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    1. Sorry you are having trouble with the link up. I'm not sure what's going on with it.

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  20. You know... that's a good way to think of it. I'm not a winter fan, but wishing it away is wanting to do away with 25% of the year. I'm going to embrace it from now on!

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  21. I definitely agree with these points! I will never be too old for snow days. I really hope we get some really warm days in February again!

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  22. I'm right with you on when winter begins. :)

    And we are the same as you...it could be freezing cold, or it could be 70 degrees. Keeps you on your toes, at least.

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    1. Your winters are definitely milder. It would be very rare for us to see a 70 degree day between Jan-March. Although I did record one last February so I guess never say never...haha

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  23. I love your perspective on how December is merely Christmas season (and, honestly, it never feels THAT cold). But come January...ugh. That's really when I really notice just how cold it is LOL

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  24. I love this!! YES, changing your perspective to just enjoy it rather than hate it is definitely such a huge help in getting through the cold wintery months!! In Arkansas we don't get just insanely cold, but it still gets pretty chilly and I crave the Spring after so long. I'm right there with you though on the feeling no guilt for slowing down and soaking up the lazy days of the Winter though too! :)

    Have a great weekend!!!

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  25. I do love a snow day here and there like we get here in the south ...but there's no way I could handle the kind of winters our Northern friends endure. Personally, I'd love for it to be spring all year long!!! Lol

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    1. I can not believe the amount of snow some of the region got. That is astonishing!

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  26. I like winter because it means open fires and cosiness. I don't mind running in winter, just not on ice! But I much prefer running in the other months of the year.

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  27. Yes the ice can be a being deterrent when it comes to running outside!

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  28. I DO like a lot of aspects of winter. But I think my biggest issue is... being an immigrant, no winter / snow scenery compares to what I grew up with. The forests here are a joke (ok, sorry Dutch people, I know you did your best to grow trees on land that once was in the ocean, A for effort) so I don't really get the visual evergreen filled forests with snow everywhere thing at all. If I really want to see / experience winter the way I remember it, I have to go to Germany, France, Switzerland, etc. Here is just all wind and rain all the time. And when it snows no one knows what to do. It turns into mush and then it freezes into black ice. I can't run and I can't cycle. The bright light in all of this is that every year we get to hope, talk about and pray to the weather gods that the "Elf steden tocht" will happen again in the North. It hasn't happened since 1998 but hey, 17 million people are excited and hopeful :)

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