Getting Hygge With It

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Unexpected storm moving into Poway this past Monday.


If there’s one thing that people in Southern California love to talk about, it’s “weather,” our colloquialism for anything other than sunshine and mild temps. And we’ve had plenty of it this winter, with annual rainfall well above average and night temps prompting frost advisories. No one complains after years of drought had good citizens holding off toilet flushes and replacing thirsty plants and grass.

Almost every hike I’ve planned the past two months has been canceled due to rain or the serious threat of it. Before you roll your eyes and think “wimp,” please know that we locals stay off the trails out of respect for fragile areas. And rules. When it rains, most public trails officially close. Not to mention I have a hard enough time staying upright going down steep dirt hills without the additional stress of slick mud underfoot.

This has left many a weekend free to guiltlessly nest inside, where it’s warm and dry. I would like to say I’ve dedicated much of that time to reading big books, diving into documentaries and reconnecting with old friends, but an audit of my Netflix and HBO viewing says otherwise. I also steer clear of the gym on wet days, crowded with Type As who can’t cope with a missed workout on their schedule. 

It’s been a nice change of pace to be indoors simply because there are fewer reasons to go out. And it’s nice to see everyone in a good mood both when skies darken and when those clouds move on. Everything is now clean and vibrant green. Wildflower season in Anza Borrego is gonna be epic this spring. 

There’s no shame in slowing down and putting off errands or feeling giddy when a national weather alert hits everyone's phones simultaneously. And who doesn't look forward to that post-walk or post-run shower when you return home drenched in raindrops, not just sweat. Of course, I’m rarely walking around in inclement weather, but it’s still a nice memory to reimagine.

I thought by now I’d grow tired of these weekly showers and rainstorms, but I haven’t. Maybe I need to get out more, but I’m fine staying cooped up, where I continue to tidy up at a snail’s pace and add to a growing to-do list. My kitchen floor and pantry shelves have not looked consistently clean like this in years.

It probably helps knowing the rains will eventually slow, then stop altogether until late fall. Until then, I think I’ll continue to indulge in making hearty stews and sinful bisques that can’t be burned off with TV binges. The mountains await, but so does Season 3 of True Detective.

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