What can you do?
Open the windows, sit in the light
Hello hello. March 2nd! Absolutely shocking. You wouldn’t think three days would make such a difference but that short little month of February allowed March to sneak up on me big time. Where you are, you might be inching towards spring - in the US, this weekend you lose an hour of sleep but gain an hour of evening daylight! - or (like much of the northeastern US) you might still be in the thrall of winter, with piles of snow reminding you that it’s not over just yet.
Today’s post is a bit special and different - our first guest Wintry Mix writer is Becky Lee, a brilliant design strategist, education expert, photographer, seashell collector, and my personal bff of over 20 years. Becky has had an especially challenging winter - I’ll let her share the details - and after lots of conversations about how to find opportunity in this difficult season, I thought you all might appreciate her perspective as much as I have.
From Becky:
My name is Becky. Kari and I have been friends since middle school. Ever since I visited Kari in Tromsø, I have been a Wintertime Mindset Ambassador™. Bonus points if you recognize me from the book!
Just before New Year’s, I broke my ankle. Since then, I’ve been unable to walk without crutches or drive myself anywhere, much less ski, skate, or sleigh.
I live in coastal New England, outside of Boston. There’s been snow on the ground since before Christmas and single digit temperatures for the past few weeks.
Both my mobility and energy are very limited. Leaving the house is not only high effort, but a little scary given the conditions.
In my more sedentary state, I found myself asking: How am I supposed to embrace winter now?
Instead of staying frustrated, I challenged myself to shift my mindset not only towards this long New England winter, but my own personal season of slowness.
I know I’m not alone in having mobility issues and low energy, whether temporary or long-term.
I wanted to share some of the things I’ve tried to help me experience winter and appreciate this season right from where I sit.
Capture the light: I love using photography to romanticize my daily life. I take photos at different times of day to catch how the light changes, from the harsh morning sun to the evening’s slanted shadows. And every day, I try to notice how the light stays a little longer.
Immerse your mind: Let’s be real, I am consuming a lot of content right now. I’m choosing cozy mysteries and shows set in wintry locations, like Louise Penny books and the Three Pines series or North of North.
Let the outside in: I hobble over to the chair in the corner of my bedroom, and sit between two open windows, letting the crisp winter air chill my skin for a few minutes. It refreshes my senses and gives me a new appreciation for my snug, warm bed.
Recruit a wintertime accomplice: Any involuntary downtime is a practice in asking for help. My mom helped me scoot down two flights of stairs and into the car for a drive-thru latte and windows-down ride along a snow-banked frozen river. The idea of doing it together helped me muster up the energy to make it happen.
Supporting Becky through a bedridden winter, with an especially active 1-year-old in her house (her daughter’s nickname is “Free Solo,” for her fearless stair climbing), has put my winter strategies to the test. I think so much of Becky’s approach - and the ways I’ve tried to help her from afar - have come down to asking her: “What can you do?” Not in a defeated, shrug-emoji kind of way, but in a serious way. What can you do? The things Becky cannot do with a broken ankle are obvious, and the list is long. She hasn’t been able to play in the snow, go to a restorative yoga class, sauna, or cold plunge. Her options for open-air living are limited. But amidst what she can’t do, she’s still able to find the things she can: she can open the windows and feel the air. She can watch the light move across her bedroom wall. She can facetime me from bed, and she can snuggle her daughter. She can ask for help, and get some bonus time with her mom and her mother-in-law in the process.
Winter is a great time to ask ourselves: what can we do? When the rain and snow fall, when the sun sets early, when the temperature drops - what is available to us? And beyond winter, when we find ourselves looking out at the world, and seeing so much to despair about, maybe we ask ourselves again: what can we do?
A Very Special Announcement!
For the first time ever, this fall I’ll be offering two in-person How to Winter retreats in two amazing locations! Co-hosted with Becky, we’re envisioning a combination of fun science workshops on the power of mindset and embracing winter, outdoor adventures, arts and crafts, and cozy downtime, with lots of good food, hot drinks, and new friends.
The first retreat will take place in the land where it all started, in Arctic Norway, at Starlight & Storm, from October 2-8.
The second retreat will be in the beautiful Catskills, at the Spruceton Inn from November 6-8.
Both retreats will be cozy and intimate - we’re looking for future friends to join us who want to be part of these inaugural experiences and are looking for new ways to embrace and celebrate winter. To be the first to know when applications open, add your name to our interest list here.
Notes from the Slush Pile
If it’s still frigid where you are, I love this idea for getting outside from Elizabeth Burtman.
Finding opportunities in winter: I loved this article about Madison, Wisconsin’s “Frozen Assets Festival.” “"When our lakes are frozen, they are truly our greatest asset."
One of my favorite interview titles, ever: here I am on Vox’s Today, Explained: “Living in a Winter Bummerland.”
How to Winter in the wild
Last week, one of my former students sent me this picture of her finding How to Winter at her library in LA. Long live libraries!!
Want more winter tips? Grab a copy of How to Winter in the US or the UK*!
*Also available now in Dutch, German, Polish, Lithuanian, and Slovakian!
This winter has been challenging for my family with waves of illnesses and injuries. Yet, I am giving myself permission to “pitch my tent in the land of hope” - I can start there.
I relocated to Bangor, Maine from central NJ just this year and used your book as a guide to prepare me for what's been a brutally cold and snowy Maine winter. I've been snowshoeing, winter hiking, have candles and fairy lights to create a soft glow in my apartment, and choose a great crock pot recipe to make each weekend so I can eat healthy during the work week. Finally, I signed up for the WAR AND PEACE IN PIECES book club at the local library and am halfway through WAR AND PEACE! It's given me a reading goal and the club members are super smart. Thank you!