What's Been Getting Me Through Winter
11:30 AM
It's no secret that for some of us, winter is the hardest stretch of the year to get through. The festivities of the holiday season are behind us, leaving us with endless weeks of cold, dreary weather and darkness and seemingly nothing to really look forward to. It's no wonder that we all find ourselves struggling to push through, counting down the days until spring.
Winter is one of those seasons that's a big hit-or-miss for me. There have been some winters where I truly enjoyed every second, taken in by the magic of freshly fallen snow. Other winters, like this one, have proven more difficult. No snow. None of that childlike wonder. Only weeks of bare trees, grey skies, and rain. These are the winters that are hardest on us Washingtonians. Without the promise of snow, there isn't a whole lot left to romanticize about this time of year. But despite how underwhelming this winter has been, I still endeavor to document the things that have gotten me through it. And who knows, maybe this will give you some ideas to help you get through it as well.
Getting outside
It's tempting to want to stay inside all day during winter, especially when the weather isn't nice. But I cannot stress enough how beneficial getting outside has been for me. You won't realize you needed it until you step outside and feel the cool air on your face, hearing all of the sounds, from birds chirping to the rain coming down. For the first time as a renter, I now live in an apartment with a balcony, and I've been taking full advantage of having this little bit of outdoor space. I make sure to still bundle up in a light jacket and bring a blanket to lay across my lap, and I'll sit in my outdoor chair with a hot drink and just take it all in. Embrace the quiet. Clear my head. Take deep breaths. Sometimes I'll go out with a book and spend a few hours reading. Even though I could easily do this inside, it still feels so much better carving out this amount of time being outside.
This can also take on so many different forms. Taking a walk around your neighborhood. Going to a nearby park. Even if it means putting on a raincoat or bringing an umbrella, just getting that little bit of fresh air can feel so refreshing after spending so much time holed up indoors, and I think it's definitely needed this time of year.
Coffee Shops
Coffee shops have also been a saving grace for me during the winter. It's been a way for me to treat myself and get me out of the house, even when my instinct is to stay cooped up inside. Listen, could you theoretically just fix up a hot drink at home? Sure. But there's something so powerful about being intentional about your day. Getting yourself out of the house and spending a drizzly day in a warm and inviting coffee shop. Bringing a book to read. A laptop to work on. Or even just getting out of the house for a while and doing some casual people watching. Coffee shops are one of those third places that I think we desperately need to hold onto in our culture. Having a place outside of our home where we can relax and be free to exist while still connecting with the rest of the world, even if just in these small, indirect ways.
Venturing Outside of My Routine
Another lifesaver that personally helped me escape the monotony of winter days was finding little things to look forward to and breaking out of my normal routine. "Variety is the spice of life" as they say! For me, this looked like a couple of things. For one, giving myself a mid-winter break—because why should high schoolers be the only ones to get one! So with that, I took a week off of work just because. I visited my parents and got to spend time with them and enjoy being back in my hometown. We were also babysitting my sister's dog, so I got plenty of quality cuddles with her and lots of walks.
There was also a day where my mom and I decided to take a day trip up to Edmonds—again, just because! We went on the lightrail and took it all the way to the end of the line. After that, it was just a short bus ride to Edmonds. It's not very far and I've always wanted to visit up that way, but just had never gotten around to it. And even though it wasn't the nicest of days, we still had the best time! It was a new experience, venturing outside of our typical area, getting to walk all up and down the waterfront and exploring the downtown area and all of the cute little shops. And sometimes that's just all you need. It doesn't have to be an extravagant vacation. It can be as simple as exploring a different area that you've never been to before. Seeking out new experiences. Or planning a little weekend trip close to home or staycation to give you a little something different to look forward to.
Supernatural
Supernatural is a show that I have been meaning to watch for so long. I vividly remember the height of the Supernatural fandom on Tumblr in the early 2010s. You couldn't be on that site for more than five minutes without seeing some Supernatural fan edit or GIF set. I was mildly curious to see what this show was all about, but I kept putting it off and putting it off—even more so once I learned that it has 15 seasons (!!) But earlier in the fall, my work BFF finally convinced me to give it a shot. And I have been having the best time. It's just so much fun getting into a new show and having something to binge-watch. I look forward to getting off work just so I can go home and have a cozy night in watching two or three new episodes of Supernatural.
Not to mention, the show is just great. It's the perfect combination of a little bit spooky but also fun while still hitting these emotional beats. I love the dynamic between Sam and Dean and the journey they go on as brothers. There are also some really fun episodes, and I appreciate that this show covers basically every urban myth and legend under the sun. I've just hit Season 4 and I still have so much more to look forward to!
So, moral of the story: Find either a comfort show or a show you've never seen and let that carry you through the season!
Comfort YouTubers
My personal favorite cozy/comfort YouTubers are:
—Caricakes / Caricanread (pictured above)
—Rachel Maksy
—Darling Desi
—Jonna Jinton
—Cecelia Blomdahl
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And that's a snapshot of my winter this year. It doesn't look like a lot on the surface. A lot of coming home to darkness, watching my favorite comfort things on the TV while curled up on the couch in a heavy blanket with a warm drink. Stretches of dreary days, looking longingly out the window for a snow that won't come. And with the lack of snow, wishing for an early spring so that at least we can be greeted with sunshine and gradually longer stretches of daylight. And while it can feel endless, there's something to be said about still finding other ways to enjoy winter in the meantime. Balancing moments of rest and indulgence with little adventures out of your home. Finding ways to break out of the monotony, venture to new places, make something out of your day, no matter how ordinary.
I hope this post gave you a little bit of comfort, knowing that we're all going through the same struggle, that we're all just doing our best with this season that can at times feel endless. I hope it gave you some ideas for ways that you can get through the winter season—and I would love to know if you have any tips of your own!
Until next time, friends
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