Winter Weather

South Florida really does have a pleasant winter. True, we don't get the holiday snow, or even frost, and that kinda sucks for those of us who grew up with wintry weather; however, you can't deny how beautiful it is here right now. It's a little crisp first thing in the morning, but by mid-afternoon, it's in the low 70s, dry with soft breezes. Perfect for running.

Yesterday evening when I went for my run, it felt good just to be breathing the air and feeling my skin whoosh (that is the "technical" term) against the fabric of the landscape (poetic, I know). It was one of those afternoons that just makes you feel happy and content. It sounds so cheesy to even mention, but it really was the sort of weather that feels good to inhale, and the sight of such a blue sky against so much green is pleasing to behold.

I love to breathe in dry air -- must be because I grew up in Colorado where the air is exceedingly dry and thin (thus, your skin feels cracked and aged, and that's why many new comers suffer from nose bleeds, headaches, and nausea). I can remember hiking when I was kid and I would stand in the trees and suck in the scent of pine and dirt, and it smelled so clean and fresh. That's why I actually loved walking home from college in the deep of winter when I lived in Minnesota: Those really painfully cold nights, I'd be walking home from a late class or time spent at the school newspaper, when I'd breathe in, and my nose hairs would crystalize and when I'd exhale the cloth of my scarf would frost. I loved those solitary walks home in the dark -- the stars always looked so crisp and clear in the inky night and the air around me felt so thin and vacuous.

Here in Florida I have discovered new ways to enjoy the outside air (what is mostly thick, mucusy wet air), and while it is mostly paradoxical of the climates I am used to, there are times when I inhale and it smells or feels like I am in the north. I have to savor this time of year: In a few months running outside will return to a sticky, sweaty mess.