Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Seasons and Reading/Writing

After a long, wintry, February, we're finally getting a stretch of decent weather in the Chicago suburbs. It's uplifting to be able to go for a walk in the neighborhood. Of course, by the time this blog post goes live, we'll return to more seasonable weather. Still, the equinox is coming soon, and by the end of April or early May we'll have true spring. 

I've never been much of an outdoors person, but when the weather is nice, I do enjoy spending more time outside. The tradeoff is I spend less time reading and writing. (I usually start off my annual reading challenge several books ahead, only to fall behind in summer and catch up in the fall and winter.) Here are a few things I try to do to keep indoor and outdoor activities in balance:

1. Go out early. During the summer, I get my exercise by walking in a nearby park. I usually go shortly after I get up. There are fewer people around, so it's easier to enjoy nature. It's also not hot, and I don't have to worry about sun exposure. (When the weather is bad, I normally exercise on a treadmill and read.)

2. Sit outside with a book. 

3. If we're traveling somewhere, my husband normally does most of the driving, so I use the time to read, crochet, or even write.

Are you feeling spring fever too? Do you feel that you do less reading or writing during the warm months? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

2 comments:

James Pailly said...

I tend to be way more productive as a writer during the warmer months. Same with reading. I don't go out much, but being able to have all the windows open in my house is such a nice feeling. Gives me a lot of motivation!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Summer does pull me outside for yard work a lot more often. Like you said, get out early before it gets too stinking hot.

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