Dear Winter,

I just can’t do this anymore. You drain my energy, you drain my patience. You are so cold towards not only me, but everyone around you. It’s not me, it’s you. Please leave now and never come back.

Sincerely,

Everyone.

But really, this winter has been brutal, not just in Cleveland, but for basically the entire Northeast too. The kind of brutal that makes you question why you even live here in the first place. I don’t very much fancy the cold and snow, so I generally refuse to leave the comfort of my snuggie, couch, wine and Netflix. I even started reading more this winter, and picked up some part time work to try and keep myself busy during this trying time.

Today the thermometer has been steady at 16°F and the sun has been shining. The ☀️SUN☀️! I tell you; even just an ounce of it on my skin gives me all the feels. Vitamin D deficiency and cabin fever are all too real for me this winter. So, when it was 28°F, sunny, and moderately snowy on Sunday, what does a girl who absolutely despises being out in the snow do? Go skiing, of course!

I have never been skiing before, and the thought of actually trying was terrifying. Well, the thought of trying and failing was terrifying. Falling, injuries, that whole not-being-in-control thing… Also being outside for any long period of time, all of this sounded miserable. But it was apparently “good” weather for it (though I’d love to argue that point), and I had someone who promised patience with me as I learned something new. Ah yes, the things we are willing to do to try and impress our male counterparts. At any rate, I gave it a shot – we wound up at Alpine Valley in Chadron. They have a really great special Sunday evenings, so it was the perfect place to test this out.

Once I got the hang of it (approx. three runs on the bunny hill until we moved to intermediate), it was so freeing, so liberating. So. Much. Fun! I was too busy learning and trying not to make a complete fool of myself to even realize I was in the cold, wet snow for hours, and I was having a blast.

Let this be a lesson for all you grumpy people who hate the winter just as much as I do… sometimes, throwing yourself into that one thing you hate the most and learning something new can change your entire perception on the subject. And a new perspective is what I’m all about this year.

I still abhor the winter, but at least I know I can do something enjoyable in it. ❄️

But seriously, Spring. Get your shit together. I miss you.