Whatever Wednesday: Baby, It’s Cold Outside!

It is Wednesday. Wednesdays are smack dab in the middle of the week and, for those of you who are not familiar with the popular term that has been coined over the years, it is “Hump Day!”

Ok, enough with the silliness. I just could not resist. (Get on with it already, Laura) Fair enough. Here we go.

For those of you who do not live in Thompson, Manitoba, it is cold today. Now I am not talking about the kind of cold where you may have to throw on your pair of UGG boots (that you can only wear really once a year in California) cold. Nor am I talking about the cold where you may have to bundle up in an extra layer of clothing cold. It is -40 degrees (both Celsius and Fahrenheit) outside today. Needless to say Andy and I have determined that we are not leaving the house. Baby, it’s cold outside.

One thing I cannot help but think about on days like today are winters in California, my home state, where you can still head to the beach this time of year and it is not frozen over with ice. I miss the sound of the ocean’s mighty waves crashing to and fro as I sit on my beach blanket reading a good book or taking a nice long nap. I miss the feeling of the salty air caressing my face with a gentle breeze just cruising on by. And I miss the sensation of sand between my toes as I take a stroll along the shoreline, basking in the glory of the California sunshine. These are all things I miss about the place where I grew up and I am becoming more and more aware that try as it may, Manitoba cannot replace them.

That being said, though, I have gained an appreciation for the cold. I love the feeling of having to warm up again after being outside for two seconds. I love the crunching sound of boots as you walk amongst trees laden with a fresh coat of snow. And I love the plentiful excuses for drinking one more cup of tea or coffee as I sit by our frosted balcony window. It is also on days like these that make me really appreciate the uniqueness of where we live. Before moving here I really did not know much about the ins and outs of living in the north, especially in the winter. But winters here have made me a bit stronger and encouraged me to pursue things I may not have otherwise (writing, art, etc).

So if you are like me, stuck indoors today because there is a blizzard outside, cheers! May we always see the beauty of where we live and never lose sight of the ways it has helped to… let’s just say “build character.” Take pride in wearing those four layers of clothing and your snow boots that take an eternity to put on. And revel in the glory of your lack of tan lines (mostly because there is no such thing as “tan” here in the winter). Baby, even if it is cold outside, today is still a day to be lived and it is glorious.

How has your weather “built” your character? Comment below! 🙂