The Cost of Winter

February 17th, 2016

Today was the second snow day for our girls. Looking out my window, I am thinking the buses may be cancelled tomorrow as well. I was born in Ottawa and, every year, I expect the snow, the cold, the damp, the icy roads etc. However, in recent years, as I have traveled to Mexico and Florida with my family, I have been exposed to another way of life.

What strikes me is how much healthier our lifestyle becomes when we live in a warm climate. I have always favoured fruit and veggies over meat. Vincent, with his love of meat and barbecuing has increased my intake of protein considerably.

Every time we go away, my skin gets moist, my curls become softer and I have loads of energy. As a family, we get more exercise and eat loads of fresh food. Sometimes we can even pick fruit from a tree on the property. I don't have to force the children to go outdoors. From the moment they wake up, we are in the pool. The variety of produce at the store is exciting. Mangoes, juicy oranges, pineapple, deep pink watermelon and sweet papaya are among the array of fruit available on a daily basis. We feast on fresh food then walk to the beach. We remove our shoes and walk barefoot in the sand. We jump into the waves of the ocean and chase each other up and down the beach. We might build a sand castle or bury someone, usually my husband, in the sand. We walk home and jump into the pool again until supper time. We generally eat outdoors as a family, talking about our day, maybe making plans for the next day.

We are the same family here, now. However, our lives look very different. Obviously we are on holidays when we are away so we have lots of time together to relax. It's not just the pace of our vacation though. It's the fact that we have choices. This may be different for families who love the cold and are active throughout the winter. That is NOT us. We hate the cold. We don't ski and, even though we enjoy sledding and skating at the municipal centre, we rarely stay out very long. We are happiest when we are warm and if we don't need to wear layers of clothes to stay warm.

Back to our choices. When you live in a warm climate, you have more choices re: what food to eat because the growing season is not limited by winter weather. You get more vitamin D from the sun daily. You are more connected to the earth because you can walk in the woods, swim in the ocean, stroll down the beach and generally spend more time outdoors. You can also grow your own fruit and veggies. These are all choices. In this climate, many of us hibernate during the winter and choose the best looking produce out of the reduced selection available to us. We have less energy because we are exposed to less light every day.

So far this year, it had been quite mild. We were struck by the money we saved on heating (natural gas and wood) as well as the fact that clients were able to get to us for their appointments which means no loss of revenue from having to shuffle clients around. We spent less money on ploughing as well. Winter is costly, not just from a maintenance perspective but from a physical (dry skin, brittle hair, the flu, vitamin deficiency, fatigue), emotional (seasonal depression, cabin fever) and social (afraid to drive places, too cold to get out, hibernating) perspective. You see the social aspect in the spring when we get that first warm day and everything starts thawing. People are out, feeling energetic, wearing flip flops and shorts, sitting on patios, willing spring to take hold and stay.

Every year, we reach a point when we ask ourselves: "Why do we live here, in this cold climate?" It took us longer to get there this year because we had such a mild winter but, sure enough, we have arrived. I love living in our home, this neighbourhood, the awesome people who live here, the friendliness of Canadians, the cleanliness and safety I feel here. It's a great place to raise children. I guess I'd just like to skip one season, or a big chunk of it, every year. Somehow, I don't think I'm alone. :)

Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org