Trek to the Tundra

As we are gearing up to make the trek back in December, I have come to terms with the obvious... that we will be leaving the mild temps of the mid-Atlantic, to join our family in the cold tundra of Minnesota.

Naturally one might think, "wait a minute Mrs. T, you did grow up in MN, you can deal with it!"; well, it's not that simple. It took approximately two holidays away from MN for me to lose my arctic tolerance. The first time back in 2006 was relatively harmless. But by the time the December festivities drew me back in 2007, I had lost something that most native Minnesotans would not expect to lose in such a short time. I had lost something that I would boast about (and still do without people suspecting the truth) how easy it is for me to handle the cold here because of my origins. When people complain that it might get into the 30s, or (oh no!!) the 20s, I just chuckle and say, "that's nothing compared to where I'm from!" But it happened, I lost my tolerance to the cold.

Maybe I will blame it on getting older. I mean, it is no coincidence that Florida and Arizona have strong senior populations. Maybe every few years you gain, you lose a few degrees in temperature tolerance. But, I think that's probably bogus. The truth as I see it, is that those folks that made the move from the North to the South were drawn by the idea, and then it didn't take long for them to lose the tolerance as well.

However, while my thick skin for the cold has declined, I know I can get it back again. It's pretty simple really. A person takes a mere 21 days to form a habit, so why was it so surprising to me to lose my tolerance to cold, which is a habit in some form? If you are used to something, if you are around it frequently, its no problem, When you are separated from it, you realize, wow, it takes a certain kind of person to not notice this doesn't it?

So where does that leave me? First, it leaves me with an appreciation for my fellow Minnesotan. And second, it makes me think about that fact that while I shiver a little more when I go back, I still don't hate it. It's really the opposite.

What does the cold in my home state mean to me? It means another season is coming. It means winter wonderland parties, ice skating, and sledding. It means the winter stew will taste that much better, the hot cocoa (or spiked eggnog) will warm the soul that much more. It means the holiday season is near. It means trees will be trimmed and fires will be built. It means thick wool sweaters will be worn and hot baths will be savored. It means communities will join together in shoveling, taking snow days, and building snowmen.

So while wet boots and frozen fingers are no fun, there is a lot of warmth in the cold winter season in Minnesota. And from a gal that happens to live in a slightly warmer place at the moment, there's nothing like warmth from my MN family and friends- naturally, there's no place like home. We will see you soon!