Winter Camp

Pre-planning some February Fun

Hello and welcome to mid-January. Have you found some January Joy? My hip hop dance class turned out to be Jamaican dancehall and it is SO fun. My friends in Philadelphia and New York are sending me pictures of the cities covered in snow, and the canals in Amsterdam are freezing over the eensiest bit, so every morning I tread carefully to the end of the dock to see how the ice is doing and to laugh at the ducks standing on top of the water.

If you haven’t, you’re not alone. It’s rough out there: the holidays are behind us, it’s still pretty dark, I’ve gotten half a dozen interview requests to speak on the topic of “Blue Monday,” the day this past week that is supposedly the “gloomiest day of the year” (someone made that up and the media has really run with it). But there is something to this time of year. More vacation feels far away. Most people have taken down their Christmas lights (if you haven’t yet - leave them up! Take down Christmas decor but please, I’m begging you, find a way to leave up some twinkly lights). The Olliebollen have disappeared from the streets of Amsterdam. Everyone seems to be a bit sniffly, a bit sick.

Frozen canals

This post-holiday winter period can ask us for a bit of extra effort and intention; a little extra planning can go a long way. Enter: Winter Camp.

Winter Camp is the brainchild of some brilliant friends of mine in San Francisco (hello, Aku, Shane, and Camilla!), who dared to ask the bold question: “Who says camp is just for summer?” This year, they made their dreams a reality, and filled the week between Christmas and New Year’s with daily activities. There was hiking, going to the movies, and window shopping. There was a trip up the California coast for oysters and an afternoon of dumpling making. Winter camp transformed some of the long-talked-about, “we should do that!” plans into actual things that happened, and provided a container for gathering and fun.

Their Winter Camp took place over the holidays, but my friends who organized it originally conceived the idea to take place over several winter weekends. I think it’s the perfect February weekend activity. Four February Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays: pick four activities, invite a few friends, and give yourself a boost to carry you through the next month.

Make your own Winter Camp

To organize your own Winter Camp:

• Pick one day of the week to be “Winter Camp” in February.

• Outline four activities: one for each day of Winter Camp. For ease, I recommend:

  • Two low-effort activities: meeting for a walk in the park, movie night, getting coffee and pastries, ordering take out.

  • One medium-effort activity: going for a hike, tea tasting, craft night, karaoke.

  • One “I’ve been meaning to do that!” activity: going to a museum, renting a sauna, a local day trip, a bookstore crawl, flower arranging.

• Invite friends! It’s okay to cast a wide net, but also okay to have a small group or even do a solo Winter Camp; the important thing is the structure, the intention, and the fun.

I want to hear what you do and how it goes. What activities will you have at your Winter Camp? You can also always reach me directly at kari@karileibowitz.com.

Also: if Winter Camp feels overwhelming, not energizing, a reminder that leaning in to rest is still an option in January and February too: Embracing the snooze doesn’t have an expiration date.

Notes from the slush pile:

• A different take on January: a case for why it’s actually the best month, in the New York Times.

• If the darkness has you craving light, check out this article in The Guardian on traditions from all over the world that use light celebrate the long nights.

• I’m obsessed with this embroidery piece of footprints on fresh snow, by artist Narumi Takada.

• If you want even more Wintry Mix, I’m giving a workshop on Norwegian Friluftsliv - “open air life” - and strategies for getting outside in winter at the National Nordic Museum on January 30. More info and tickets here.