Going Out

March 8, 2025

(Happy almost-birthday to this blog, upon which I embarked on March 21, 2020!)

My latest meeting with a friend over coffee touched on a favorite topic of mine: the events that mark the change of seasons in a small town. I was pleased when, like me, this friend lumped both human and nonhuman phenomena into one category. From the mourning doves building a nest by his house to the arrival of the brochure for a certain outdoor theatre company, he was seeing signs of spring everywhere.

It feels like we’re poised right on the edge of spring – that time of year when you need to change clothes halfway through each day. The lush growth of April and May gets plenty of attention, but this phase of anticipation is easy to overlook. I, for one, can say it’s changing things for the better.

I make no secret of my dislike for winter. I don’t participate in winter sports, and I’m even less likely to take car trips when there might be snow to deal with. I also get cold far too easily. Thus, while a “staycation” might be a fun option during the warmer months, in the winter it’s a self-imposed constraint. I believe that my particular brand of seasonal depression is caused by limited contact with the outdoors, rather than the cold or the lack of light. And yet, this morning I relished a walk through the frosty landscape because I knew it would be my last chance for a while.

As confirmation of my cabin fever, I noticed yesterday that I’ve only driven about 650 miles since mid-January. This would have been unheard of when I was working for conservation groups and had to travel to countless meetings, events, and rural natural areas. It signals a change in my lifestyle as well as the normal course of a Wisconsin winter.

This lack of distraction does allow for more inner examination. I’m grateful for the breakthroughs, some of them profound, that I’ve experienced in the past few months. But I’m also looking forward to being distracted again (and drinking iced coffee at those friend gatherings). The signs are pointing to a new season with new opportunities for growth.