“People are usually about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” —Unknown
It rains a lot here. Sometimes, there are entire weeks where it pours every day or if not, clouds fill the sky.
It scares me a bit because the last few winters, I found myself down in the cold months. The darkness, the constant state of frigidness. (My apartment’s heater breaking.) That seasonal affective disorder, eh?
I was working at a chaotic startup and I remember when the spring finally came, the way I suddenly felt like myself again—forgot I had gone away at all.
Now, I work at a school. Where the kids have energy and I talk for work, and it all feels more fulfilling (most of the time).
When you’re feeling dark, you learn to find what fulfills you. For me, it’s writing. It’s flexibility. It’s selfishly—self-lovingly?—doing what I want for a day. It’s a clean space with dim lighting. It’s a decent amount of solitary time. I love to be alone.
It’s more of a space than a feeling and the space makes the feelings. And maybe once we learn these things to turn to, we’ll always be okay. Because, I can make a space 6,000 miles away, fill it with warm lighting, blankets, a table and chair, and on a rainy Saturday, it will feel like home.
Acclimate Already 