My Real Life

When I woke up, this morning, school was delayed due to freezing temps and icy conditions.

Winter was slow in coming to Northern NJ.

My kids played outside for most of December, and I’m not sure I even made them wear a coat.

But now it’s January and winter is here.

Every day, Facebook is filled with people’s photos of their car thermometers, or the snow on their decks, and I gotta tell you, I love it.

The majority of my friends are biding their time until the sun comes out and the coats come off, and I’ll be honest…give me a few months and I’ll probably be eager for a day without gloves, as well.

However…

There is just something about the winter and the cold.

Whenever I’ve imagined the possibility of moving somewhere else, “south” never came to my mind.

I’d want to go somewhere were there were mountains and snow and perpetual fall and winter.

I enjoy seeing my breath outside, and being able to come in and warm up.

There is something about the briskness to the cold air that wakes me up, invigorates me, and makes me feel alive.

I dream of Maine or Vermont or Alaska.

While I want to visit Scotland and Ireland, the glaciers of Greenland call my name, as well.

In the summer, there’s only so much you can take off and still be appropriate.

In the winter, you can bundle up all you want, and there’s nothing like burrowing under the covers with a loved one and hiding away from the chill.

Evenings in front of the fireplace with a cup of hot tea and a good book, or a family board game while you let the fire warm you enough until you have to move slightly away.

I love the silence of snow and the crisp whiteness as it blankets the world.

Sunglasses in the winter to fight the snow glare are ultimately more satisfying to me than sunglasses in the summer.

If I’m being honest, I’ll say that I also look forward to the possibility of a snow day, in the winter.

There’s nothing like just being able to snuggle up with your babies a little longer in the morning and laying low with them all day.

The machinations of getting four kids in snowsuits are a pain, but there’s no joy like that in child’s face who is sledding down a hill, showing off their snowman, or shrieking as they run from snowballs.

So, bring it, winter.

I’m ready.