How to Chase Away the Winter Blues?

Its President’s Day weekend and I’m not going anywhere!! I am really angry about this. I just can’t show it because my winter blues prevent me from expressing true feelings.  My emotions are frozen. 

I was trying to pull off a trip to the Ice Palace at Quebec City’s Winter Festival.  That plan fell through. Then I was hoping to book a ski weekend.  That fell through.  And while I could offer you many reasons why each plan failed, the truth is they failed because those destinations are cold.  I would love to go skiing in August.  When I’m dying from the heat wave, it would be a great time to hop a flight to a cold mountain top.  But the idea of planning to go somewhere to be colder than I am right now is unfathomable.  So I’m here at home for this extra-long weekend.

There is one exception to this cold crankiness (which is definitely due to aging).  The last two times we traveled on President’s day weekend and Valentine’s Day it was for the winter Olympics.  And both times (Vancouver, Canada and Sochi, Russia) we experienced spring like weather.  And I can’t wait for the summer Olympics to be over so I can start planning for the next winter Olympics.  But in the meantime, I have got to find a way to move past the winter blues.

Duckie has the full blown travel bug now.  She has a huge coin jar which she is using to save for a Disney Cruise (she’s never been on one).  She has a long term plan to go to Australia before she turns 11.  And as of yesterday she was asking if we could start packing for spring break, destination unknown.

Tops on her list are a return trip to New Orleans.  She’d rather than do that, than go to Florida and spend her days on the beach and in the pool.  And I get it.  We do cities really well.  We are the family that gets up eats and then gets to walking from site to site and restaurant to restaurant.  Duckie is the Mayor of any town she is in.  So she loves to get out there and shake some hands and kiss some babies.  Plus her education is really getting in the way of her travel schedule.  She'd much prefer exploring a new or familiar destination to being confined to a classroom.  And I concur. 

 

Duckie even finds the lamppost in New Orleans exciting

I’ve already given in to her request to go to “Obama’s House,” otherwise known as the White House and the US Capital building.  She doesn’t remember her previous visit where she sang ring around the rosy, loudly, through every room on the tour. So we’ll head to DC at the end of spring break (If you’d like to book a tour just contact your congressman or senator.  They will submit the request on your behalf.  Best to plan at least 6 weeks in advance, 3 months is even better)

But, I’ve got to come to terms with the weather. I can go somewhere that does not include guaranteed sunshine, heat and defrosting.  I’ve considered doing a 4 night cruise, just me and Duckie.  I’ve looked at Caribbean destinations, but the cost of going there in peak season is tantamount to burning cash.  I even temporarily lost my mind and priced out Disney. So it’s quite likely that she’ll her way and we’ll start in New Orleans and end in DC.  Stay tuned.

I gotta go, winter calls ... talk soon.

--BMK