Whether you’re going to welcome the coming months with open arms or keep those arms folded as a shield over your face, winter is on its merry way, unavoidably creeping up on us. Even if you generally enjoy the season, there will undoubtedly be moments when you will curse winter with every ounce of frustration in your body. Oh winter, the wonderful season of walking to your 8:30 am class in the bitter, freezing morning, having snow fall into your shoes and leave you with unbearably soggy socks, only for you to slip on the ice and smash your phone screen on the ground. Anyone who makes it through a January day without too much damage should give themselves a pat on the back.
Winter is coming, but unlike in Game of Thrones, it’s actually coming, and it’s coming now. It’s hard to ignore the communal sense of impending dread and doom surrounding the idea of winter. Some people just absolutely despise winter and all that it encompasses: the snow storms, the cold wind, the shoveling, the wipeouts on the icy sidewalks and the frostbitten tips of noses. Darkness creeps in at 5 pm and swallows the sun away. An additional ten minutes needs to be devoted every morning to defrosting our cars and shoveling a passage out of the driveway. For those who truly dislike winter, their sole solace is the promise of a beautifully white holiday season. But once December passes and the high from January 1st dies down, we are still left with at least two more months of below-zero weather.
I’m likely making your anxiety towards winter grow stronger, aren’t I? Well, all I can say is that life is all about perspective, and I propose we all choose to adopt a positive mindset towards winter this year. Winter can be an idyllic, dazzling and cozy couple of months if we embrace it for all that it brings – the good and the bad. You could go tobogganing down the Fort Henry hill or skate in Market Square, followed by a rich hot chocolate at Sipps. You could tap back into your childhood enthusiasm and spontaneity and build snow forts, initiate snowball fights or create snow angels. If you’re leaving campus and going home over the holiday break, you could gather up your dog, your friends and your family, and go for a local nature walk. If you’re staying in Kingston over the winter months, you could venture outside of the downtown area and visit Rock Dunder, Lemoine Point and Parrot’s Bay Conservation Areas, or even Lake Ontario Park, where you can spend your afternoon weaving through the peaceful barren trees and stepping out onto the glossy frozen lake. Don’t miss a moment to marvel at the beauty of every pretty little snowflake spiraling slowly down from the sky.
A quick and easy road trip away from Queen’s University to Ottawa, Toronto or Quebec would allow you to skate along the Rideau Canal or at Nathan Phillips Square, or go skiing at Mount Tremblant. If you are more interested in staying indoors, there’s something perfectly pleasant about snuggling up beside a fireplace with some coffee and Baileys, a warm blanket and a good book as the snow falls quietly outside of the window. Try to think of the silver lining within every situation and struggle you’ll inevitably be facing over the coming months. Although your body will likely be stiff and chilled throughout the day, there’s always the moment of sinking yourself into a gloriously warm bubble bath and thawing all the cold away to look forward to. After winter comes spring, with its daisies and regeneration and the promise of summer’s warmth. Having survived the long Canadian winter like champions, we will truly appreciate the beauty and cyclical arrival of a new, unique season. There is no fighting or denying the course of Mother Nature; therefore, we should embrace every season – especially winter – with an open mind, a resilient spirit, and fun activities planned.