A few mornings ago I woke up early. The sun had yet to rise, or maybe it had but the light still needed to pour in. I knew it had to be early though because my cat, who almost always serves as my alarm clock, was still snuggled up against my thigh. I picked up my book so as not to grab my phone, the one wellness tip I am trying to be diligent about. I got through a half-page of reading before my tired eyes overtook me.
In the dead of winter I’d have gone back to sleep. But it was spring now, and in turn, being up early felt like a blessing.
For a while I laid there, thumb in my book, not asleep nor awake, listening closely to the birds talk outside my window. Cliché, I know! But spring warrants such trite celebrations of the day beginning.
When I finally decided to remove the covers, I was surprised by how neutral the air felt against my bare limbs. There were no goosebumps. No need to frantically throw on the closest pair of sweats. I walked barefoot to my coffee station and brewed over ice to seal the deal. It was the most joy I had felt so early in the day in months. I considered it my very own spring greeting.
A sort of spontaneous clarity dawned on me that morning as if I’d been given glasses after months of not seeing clearly. And relief too, like that feeling you get when after going uphill for a while you finally get to reap the benefits of the descent. There was no reason in particular to feel such joy and yet I had this overwhelming sensation it was not only going to be a good day or a good stretch of days or even a good season but it was also going to be a good life. I think this is what spring tries to tell us. It’s a veil lifted, a promise kept, a glass suddenly half full despite having added nothing to it. And each year we are reminded this sudden joy is actually not so much sudden and new as it is a return to something that had been lost.
I am always aware of seasonal shifts and how they make me feel (as you can probably tell by that last paragraph). It’s a phenomenon I am often called to write about. Maybe this is because my big 3 are all in earth (virgo sun, capricorn moon, virgo rising FYI), or maybe it’s due to my experience growing up in the Northeast, where winter, spring, summer, and fall are each felt intensely and independently. Perhaps I simply choose to pay attention.
It’s more than just the weather. The seasons possess an ability to both transform and reconnect regardless of how many times I experience them. There is magic and meaning to be found in the energy of each. Listening to nature's ways brings flow and those same rhythms and cycles are within us. In that sense one could argue the more you observe the world around you, the more you can learn about yourself.
I also like to use seasons as a guide, an opportunity to take stock. A lot happens in a few months time when you stop and think about it!
So in honor of winter’s passing, I’d like to take a moment to share with you some things I've been into, up to, and on to these last few months. Everything from the minutiae to the musings. A winter goodie bag of sorts!
OG readers may remember I used to do something similar on my first ever blog, a series I called “Brain Dumps.” Perhaps if you like this we can run it back here at nature’s next transition.
Read: I’ve been steadily flip-flopping between fiction and nonfiction books. This winter I read Insomniac City (nonfiction) followed by Writers and Lovers (fiction). I loved both! Although you will never really hear me say I didn’t like a book because I admittedly can’t finish one unless I do. Both of these books were page-turners though, and inspiring to me as a human and an artist. I recommend.
Watched: Daisy Jones and the Six, obviously. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I think this is the best on-screen adaptation I’ve ever seen. I’m forever a “the book was better” girlie but I really believe this story was made to be seen and heard. The 70s aesthetic. The music. The casting. Don’t get me wrong - I adored the book, but they really nailed it with the mini-series. I’m calling it now a season 2 or a tour is coming. I’d shamelessly geek out over either.
Shows attended: The Dip at the Brooklyn Steel. I hadn’t heard of this band before buying tickets to their show a few days prior - which is my new method of discovering artists BTW - and their soulful, jazzy performance completely blew me away. My friend and I accidentally got there early enough to secure a barricade spot making the whole experience that much more hypnotic.
Purchased: Sam Edelman Mary Jane flats. My mom hates this genre of shoes, anything loafer-adjacent. It’s kind of an ongoing joke between her and I because we mostly agree on everything fashion related but this one thing. They remind her of old ladies which to be fair is sort of the look I’m going for.
Product of the season: Snail Mucin. I’m hyper-skeptical of any product I see raved about on Tiktok but when I tried this at a friend’s house I was thoroughly impressed, enough to head to Ulta the next day to buy it. I had no idea where it was located in the store or what it was even called so I had to ask the employee where the “snail stuff” was and she knew exactly what I was talking about. It still weirds me out a little that rubbing snail secretion on my face has become a part of my routine but I cannot deny my skin of this softening, plumping, hydrating magic! Non-irritating on my sensitive skin! Also pretty reasonably priced for a trendy skincare item! Not much to lose.
Excited for: My bestie to move to New York. I met Ellie on Bumble BFF a little over a year ago (which is a story for another time) and off the bat we shared a mutual dream of moving to NYC. If you’d told us last year we’d both be doing the damn thing we’d be so happy and proud. Brb living out my 90s sitcom dreams.
Winter recap: Speaking of moving to NYC, I don’t think I’d recommend moving here in the dead of winter, however, it did have its perks. This was my first time living alone and therefore the first time I was able to be dedicated to truly knowing myself and my space. When you move to a city where you know virtually no one, especially in a place as big, and in winter, as cold as New York, you are bound to spend many days coped up in your apartment. In hindsight this wasn’t such a bad thing. At least for me. I’ve always been in touch with myself but after this experience I feel like I really know myself.
In the spirit of aligning with the seasons, it was indeed a winter of turning inward. There was stillness, sadness, silence. I’m grateful for having rested, for having watered myself well enough to be ready to bloom outward. I wish the same for you. Happy Spring my friend!
Sincerely,
Salena
Love the brain dumps, i feel like we are catching up just by reading your content.
One of my favorite thinks about warmer weather is sitting quietly with a cup of coffee and listening to the birds singing. I also felt like this winter was a season of looking inward.