1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: tip is to plan some winter adventures. The post holiday 4 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: winter months can feel dark and cold, but by planning 5 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: in some winter specific adventures, not only will you have 6 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: things to look forward to, you will enjoy the season 7 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: for its own sake, rather than just counting days until spring. 8 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: So longtime listeners know that winter isn't exactly my favorite 9 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: season of year. I get cold easily, and the weather 10 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: here in southeastern Pennsylvania is often dark and gloomy until 11 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: about mid March. And yet I don't like the idea 12 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 1: of wishing time away. I am not alone in this. 13 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: Several years ago, I wrote a piece for Fast Company 14 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: called The Norwegian Secret to Enjoying a Long Winter, and 15 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: it became one of their most shared articles of the year. 16 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: It seems a lot of us want to know how 17 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: to appreciate this time rather than simply endure it. One 18 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: of the ways it seems that people in northern Norway 19 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: make the most of winter is by enjoying the things 20 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 1: you can only do in winter. Cross country skiing is 21 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: certainly a huge thing there, and it makes sense. Being 22 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: outside is a known mood booster, so it is physical activity. 23 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 1: If you can figure out how to combine the two, 24 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: especially in activities that require cold weather, you can start 25 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: viewing January and February as exciting months rather than terrible ones. 26 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 1: The folks in northern Norway also appreciate the beauty of winter. 27 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: Sometimes this is a more challenging, demanding beauty than a 28 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: June rose garden, but it is a beauty none the less. 29 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: So as we face down the next two and a 30 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 1: half months until spring, I mean, at least for those 31 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: of us in colder northern climates, it might be worth 32 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: figuring out how to plan some winter adventures that get 33 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: us active or expose us to winter's beauty. I know 34 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: a lot of people love skiing. I am not a skier, 35 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: but if you are, or you have friends and family 36 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: members who enjoy this, it can be a great winter activity. 37 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: Not all slopes are ridiculously pricey or difficult. We have 38 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: a lot of little ski mountains and the Poconos that 39 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 1: are well not that steep. Because the Poconos are not 40 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 1: that high, little mountains like this could work as a 41 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: day trip for people in this part of the world. 42 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: Even when I lived in the rather flat Midwest, I 43 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 1: know that there were at least a few small hills 44 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: that became ski slopes for the winter. Some of these 45 00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: small hills also offer tubing, which can be really fun. 46 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: You don't need to have any skiing skills to get 47 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 1: into a tube and let gravity slide you down the mountain. 48 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: Speaking of sliding, if there is any snow in your 49 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:14,839 Speaker 1: part of the world, sledding is fun as an adult too. 50 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: Buy a cheap sled, find a hill and enjoy swooshing down. 51 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: Play your cards right, and you can be outside for 52 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 1: maybe thirty minutes or so, and then come home to 53 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 1: warm and tasty beverages. It's just a little adventure, but 54 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: I know that one of my most recent experiences of 55 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: grinning ear to ear came while sliding down a snowy 56 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 1: hill in my front yard. Snowshoeing and cross country skiing 57 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: can work in places that have snow but don't have 58 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: big hills, and even if you don't have snow cover, 59 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: as long as it is cold, a trip to an 60 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: outdoor ice skating rink can be tons of fun too. 61 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 1: My family goes to the rink by the river in 62 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 1: downtown Philadelphia, and I always love swirling around the ice 63 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 1: under the winter sky. This is something you cannot do 64 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: in warm weather, and I do genuinely look forward to it. 65 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 1: As for appreciating winter beauty, I always like looking at 66 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: the sunrise and sunset. The sunrise tends to happen at 67 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: a time you might see it given the shorter days, 68 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 1: and with bare trees, the colors look even more pronounced. 69 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 1: Fresh snow makes a winter wonderland. But even if you 70 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: don't have that, frost glistens, as does ice in ponds. 71 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: Going on a winter walk in a place with lots 72 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:43,919 Speaker 1: of evergreens or holly with its berries can make for 73 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:48,840 Speaker 1: some stunning scenery. Of course, to have any adventure, which 74 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 1: includes winter adventures, you need to plant ahead. I recommend 75 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,840 Speaker 1: a weekly planning session late in the week, such as 76 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: on a Friday, looking ahead to the next min day 77 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: to Sunday week. You can then take a minute to 78 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:07,159 Speaker 1: look at the immediately upcoming weekend and tighten the plan 79 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 1: you made a week prior based on the weather or 80 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: new information. This helps with getting tickets or reservations for places, 81 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: but also with managing energy, which is really important in winter. 82 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: I know that I have never woken up on a 83 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: winter Saturday morning and said, you know what, I want 84 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: to argue with my kids to get off their iPads, 85 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: bundle them into my car, drive downtown and get them 86 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: into rental skates. I need to know I plan to 87 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,280 Speaker 1: do this ahead of time. But then when I do 88 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: have this as a plan and do it, I always 89 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: have fun. Winter adventures, in particular, often require overcoming a 90 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: bit of inertia. Your house is warm, the world is not, 91 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: but soon you will be on the other side and 92 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: have great memories to look back on. So think about 93 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: what winter adventures you could plan, what would make you 94 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 1: excited about the next few months, rather than just counting 95 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 1: days to spring. Winter is all about mindset, and with 96 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: the right mindset, it is possible to have a lot 97 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:26,479 Speaker 1: of fun in the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, 98 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:37,559 Speaker 1: and here's to making the most of our time. Thanks 99 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, 100 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 1: or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at Laura 101 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. 102 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio, app, 103 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 1: Apple po podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.