hibernation nation

Well, here we are. It’s officially that time of the semester where the weather, my motivation level and the time change all intersect, causing my urge to hibernate to skyrocket.

Living in Mississippi for the last several years, my hibernation instinct never really came out due to the weather staying absurdly warm (on and off at least) until January. But last fall I spent the semester in Ireland and it emerged full-force. I would leave an afternoon class in the pitch-dark and all I could do was retreat into my little room in our apartment to eat special k and watch tv on my computer.

Here in Boston I find myself succumbing to it again. November rolled around, the temperatures dropped, it started getting dark at 4:30 (thanks a LOT, daylight savings) and now all I want to do is stay home and hide with Pennycat under the fluffiest comforter I can find.

It’s just so much WORK. Getting dressed no longer involved throwing on a cute dress and Toms and running out the door with wet hair. Cute dresses would cause my skin to freeze and possibly shatter like ice. Toms must be worn on top of thick woolen socks, largely altering their entire fit. Wet hair will cause me to immediately contract pneumonia and spend the next (and last, obviously) 48 hours of life sneezing and coughing and wishing I had taken time to put a hat on… Put away is the sorority uniform of Nike shorts and large tshirts. Put away are the strappy sandals and jorts and tank tops and other things that can be described as "easy breezy."

Instead I must take the time to blow dry my hair, find approximately 43920480 layers to put on until the only skin visible is from my eyebrows to my chin and shuffle out, alternating between sweating inside and shivering outside. It's MUCH easier to just remain in my jammies, moving as little as possible to avoid allowing any of the warmth in my little cocoon to escape.

Here’s the thing... I really do like cold weather. Growing up in Utah instilled in me a love of crisp, snowy days where everything is blanketed in white and kind of soft and muffled. A snowy winter wonderland is one of the most beautiful sights to me.

But until I see some snow on the ground rather than this wind, cold rain, bluster and general dark/damp depressingness, you can find me under the covers, eating toaster waffles to fatten up before falling asleep for the next three months.

Note: I wrote most of this post yesterday when it was dreary and rainy and somewhat terrible. Today it is sunny and almost even warm (almost) and I feel kind of dumb posting this even though my overall opinion hasn't changed. Mother Nature is laughing somewhere, like "You want to bitch about ME on your blog?!? Suck on this! And tomorrow its going to be 40 degrees and sleeting! And then perhaps the next day I'll send some 90 degree weather and you can sweat to death in your  non-AC-equipped apartment!! Hahahahhaha! You SHOULD feel dumb!"