Degrees of cold

I am a Florida girl. But after nearly 30 years in the Washington area, and four in the mountains of North Carolina before that, I may finally understand how to survive winter.
1) Embrace the cold.
2) Have really good gear.
3) Remember: being cold is not fatal.
One winter I learned to snowboard. Full assault on cold, snow, ice, everything, complete with red-tipped ears, chapped lips and numb fingers and toes. This was the most effective way of shoehorning myself out of the winter cocoon of blankets and coziness indoors, out into cheek-slapping cold that invigorated me. I even sweated, getting up and down off the snow as I learned. Big fun.

This week, I biked to metro despite the 17-degree temperatures, the coldest we’ve had this year. I felt charged up by the time I’d locked up my bike and walked toward the train. Fun might be a stretch. But it did feel good.

It helped that I had good gear. Thanks to my big sister for this lesson: she learned to live in upstate New York and Montana. LL Bean and REI have become my best friends. Silk long underwear is the bomb. Heavy socks are an essential. Good, comfy gloves. Layers of sweaters I can peel off as I warm up. And a hat – how do all those guys riding metro, with their close-cropped heads, go without? I don’t get it.

Most important epiphany: I will not die of cold. I might be uncomfortable. But I don’t have to spend the entire time I am cold thinking about what to do –fast—to be un-cold. I can just be cold. This is easier if I remind myself that I will be warm again soon.

In fact, this week I was warm so soon—with temperatures swinging back up around 50— I had to peel off extra sweaters to stay comfortable. I almost missed the cold. And for a Florida girl, that’s saying a lot.