I have good memories of walking through the woods in the snow. One of the most enjoyable things I did with my brothers when I visited a few winters ago was snowshoeing in a nearby state park. And when the weather is bad enough and I can’t ride my bike or drive the car to work, I don’t mind the walk. It’s only two and a half miles or so.
There’s just something about cold weather hiking. You can feel it both inside and out – deep breaths of cold air, a bit of a frosty nose and rosy cheeks (although I’ve never been one to get rosy cheeks), all kinds of fresh feelings. And when you’re bundled up appropriately, there’s a sweet spot. My brother Doug has a pair of boots he loaned me, and they were marvelous for walking in the cold and snow. Waterproofed, warm, and comfortable.
And of course, one of the best things about the cold-weather hike is the home to which you return. Maybe a fireplace. Maybe a nice cup of hot chocolate. Somewhere where you can perhaps look out the window and think, “I was there.” Christmas lights as a bonus.
We had temperatures in the low- to mid-30s yesterday, with mixed rain and snow (mostly snow), followed by more snow last night and plummeting temperatures (mid-teens), so of course that made things a little messy. And, as much as I don’t mind working from home for short periods, I still like to get into the office for the heavy stuff. So when it looked like they weren’t going to upgrade the road conditions by a reasonable hour, and having done all I could do at home, I bundled up for the walk to work.
It wasn’t a bad walk either. A little slick in some spots, but generally enjoyable. I knew my legs could certainly handle it. I’m always reminded, as I tackle the city streets here, of some of the good things a winter’s day in Korea might bring – like sweet potatoes baking in a steel drum oven. But I really don’t see many of those around anymore (I can’t remember the last one I saw, actually). I know on my walk home I’ll pass a couple of places that sell bung-eo-bbang – little fish-shaped snacks, hot out of the molds, filled with bean paste (and now, more often, a kind of custard) and will probably buy a few. There’s one in the market that’s quite famous, but there’s always a big line these days, and just when you think it’s moving, the guy in front of you orders 20.
I should have expected, too, that the walk would make me a bit stiff. I tell people I can’t wait till I’m 60 so I can say “I’m 60, what’s your excuse?” (this is an especially powerful statement when you’re surrounded by military people half your age who can’t seem to walk up a few flights of stairs without getting winded). But getting old has its drawbacks, and you can only look on the bright side with thoughts like that.
It certainly “is what it is,” and I’m sure there’ll come a day, sooner than I expect it, that the cold-weather walks (not to mention the cold-weather rides) will be a thing of the past – limited to taking the dog (or the garbage) out. Maybe there really is something to this “move to Florida” thing. I mean, why not? If I can swing it, at least I’ll have the memories of snow on which I can look back…and probably appreciate wherever I end up.