Enjoying winter
Living in Wisconsin, each year comes an inevitable harsh1 winter. I’ve traditionally loathed the season, but this year I’m embracing and appreciating it.
During last summer’s heat wave, I watched two videos by Ottilie:
Whether or not it was her intention, I found these videos to be romanticizing of winter — in a good way. Since being inspired by these videos, I’ve been thoroughly looking forward to winter.2
I find myself grateful for getting to experience the four seasons. Each season brings its own primary colors, allowing me to see and appreciate my environment in new ways — winter is no exception. Brown twigs contrast against the blue sky , and, soon, stark white snow will blanket pine needles .
As of writing, it’s still only fall. The temperature has been steadily dropping, though I don’t yet consider it cold enough for a winter coat. Nearly all the leaves have fallen, and there’s a certain crispness to the air.
In anticipation of winter, I have been spending time in virtual winter environments. The Long Dark is a beautiful yet harsh survival game set in the snowy Canadian wilderness — it’s a great game to escape to. DayZ is another game I’ve been playing: two of its maps, Namalsk and Sakhal, offer an immersive apocalyptic winter survival experience.
I plan to spend more time outside this winter. I want to go on early morning walks, I want to hike on snow-covered trails, and I want to take photos of a winter wonderland.
‘tis the damn season