“Where are my gloves?” You will hear me ask at least twice a day. I am still not used to having to put so many things on, but here I am perfecting the practice of living in a snowglobe.

There aren’t “layers” where I come from. In fact, there is only one kind of  sweater or “sueta”. No heavyweight, lightweight, rain jacket, puffer jacket, all you need to be protected from the cold in Costa Rica is something with sleeves.  I didn’t even know what wool was except that it came from sheep, but now I know all my fabrics. I can tell you really quick what’s a base layer, how awesome thinsulate can be and yet, I am still learning.

But not everything up here is snow. When the snow melts and the spring has sprung I start to notice what this seemingly eternal winter actually does !  It creates a crave for the outdoors you won’t see anywhere else. Not only the trees start to bloom, the furry animals show up in the yard, but everyone gets very, very active. The lakes are full, the playgrounds too, the streets and coffee shops are filled with happy people. We go for nature walks, hikes, strolls, sit outside to talk, make early fires and throw things in the grill. This part I love! I have learned to enjoy being outside so much more after my first Spring. My feet itch to go step on some leaves and let the sun come into our houses.

Nature has created this easy way to make us retreat, and I must admit, sometimes it’s not the best for our moods but in our retired houses we become dormant. But we can also bloom and take this time to get stronger.

What do you do to withstand winter ? What is your ritual that helps you become stronger in Spring?