Winter is different

I used to love winter. This year, it's felt more bleak than usual.

This is strange, because my apartment overlooks a forest preserve, complete with the DuPage River, which floods and recedes as the weather changes, lots of trees with pretty red cardinals sitting in them, plenty of sky, and even a few rolling hills. There is winter beauty right outside my window!

I used to love snow. But this year, it just feels so very white. And so very icy. And so very hard to drive on.

This is my theory: previously, I used to walk everywhere. When I lived in Evanston, I walked (right across the parking lot!) to class, work, lunch, worship, etc. When I lived in Hyde Park, I walked a mile, two to six times a day, for classes, I walked to the grocery store, I walked to my parents' house, I walked to visit friends, I walked to go out for dinner. So, in the winter, I walked THROUGH the snow, I was OUT in the winter weather -- feeling the wind blow, smelling the snow, and acclimating to the whole deal. (Warm coats were key, here.)

In Bolingbrook, I'm rarely outside. It's something I've had to get used to with suburban living. I walk out to the apartment parking lot, get into my car, and I drive everywhere! I drive to another parking lot, and then walk right inside again.

I could walk around the forest preserve, but the snow is usually too deep. I could cross-country ski into the forest preserve, but I feel skittish about the steep hill I'd have to ski down to get there -- I mean, this hill has mini-switchbacks, it's so steep. (But I know, excuses, excuses!)

Living in a new place means getting used to a different sort of life. There are some gains (always having a parking place, for instance!) and some losses (the pleasure of walking). I'll have to develop some different habits to compensate. (And walking across parking lots just isn't quite going to do it.) But I do like Bolingbrook -- I'm getting attached to it (and I'm not just saying that for the benefit of my parishioners who read this blog!). I just miss walking to the grocery store, sometimes.