So, I don’t really like Pina Coladas. They’re a little too sweet and too full of calories for me. Offer me a margarita and I forget all about the calories. I’m not a big fan of getting caught in the rain, but getting caught in the snow is the pits. And I’ve planned my escape.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is no joke. Some years, I hardly notice it. But some years? Ugh. I can get a sense of hopelessness and frustration that I’ve barely ever known. I also crave sugar like mad, sleep poorly but I go to bed around 9 p.m. each day and become very sedentary. It’s no secret that the bad years almost always coincide with years with a lot of snow. While the snow is the signal, the real cause is the lack of sunlight. In years when we have a lot of snow, we almost never see the sun. This year? One word describes it: brutal.
Now, I wake up today with just one month until Daylight Savings Time. You may see it as losing an hour of sleep. I see it as gaining an hour of daylight, which I desperately need. The emotional impact of daylight after 6 p.m. beginning with DST makes me incredibly happy. The fact that it also signals the very waning days of winter makes me happier still.
Yet, in a fit of absolute desperation, I have another escape hatch coming my way: a short trip to the sunshine. I am not above planning my escape. After 50-plus years of winter, I’ve learned what works with my SAD and what doesn’t. A trip in March to sunshine simply works. I get a week of sunshine, my happiness clock gets reset and I can come back to the frozen tundra knowing that warmer temperatures are breaking through. Yes, we often have snow in April and even into May, but typically by the very end of March the snow is mostly melted and we reliably have above-freezing days.
Last night, we got another three inches of snow. All I can think about today? Going to Florida. I’ve got a few weeks yet, but I’ve also learned that the anticipation of the trip is almost as good as the going. Particularly when I can look at the weather in Orlando and see that it’s in the high 80s this week. That certainly beats the snow and ice we have predicted for Wednesday.
The fact is winter is hard. Even living in a house with solar, geothermal and a wood-burning fireplace that allows us to keep our house warm, comfy and with all of the creature comforts one could enjoy, winter is still hard. It literally feels like you are shut in the house for months on end. If you do go out? It’s to shovel. Okay, so that’s not entirely true. I get out there to cross-country ski, to go for walks on milder days and I do my usual errand-running and other activities just like I do in summer. But we live outdoors in summer. If its not working in the yard or garden, it’s gathering firewood or playing with pets. We have an outdoor firepit where we love to enjoy an evening with a fire, some stars and an adult beverage. We cook outside, we eat outside, we lounge outside… heck, I even work outside when I can. In winter? I’m indoors and even though I take HUGE satisfaction that the house is now done(ish), I’m still indoors. When I’m in Florida for a week? I’m back outdoors. I simply cannot wait.
So, while we get ready to go out shoveling today, I also have a little time to plan for Florida. Since I can pack in less than 20 minutes, I don’t need to do that. Instead? I’ll plan meals. (We have a VRBO.) And my walk route. And my workday. And…
You get the picture. Escape hatch pulled. I need to get out of this frozen chunk of land.
The Yuppie Homesteader 