Sooo I might be solar powered. Or Superman 🙂 . My mood is unusually (I think) effected by the weather. When it’s cold, dark and cloudy it’s harder for me to do just about anything. It also takes me to a dark place in my mind. I thought this was because of my hormones or some outside factor, but today proved me wrong. Yesterday was another dark and gloomy winter day (we’ve had an unusually cold and dark winter in Seattle this year) and I was feeling down. I tried to contemplate why and came up with a lot of possibilities – none of which was the weather.
Today I awakened to a bright blue sky and a radiant sun and I felt instantly better – happy, excited. I had no idea something as simple as the amount of clouds in the sky had such a strong effect on my mood and even overall outlook on life. Today I feel optimistic while yesterday I felt lost. I guess the sun supercharges me a little like Superman. It kinds of makes sense since I was born and raised in Georgia: a bright and warm state where only a light jacket is required in the dead of winter.
I’m not sure why I’m so strongly effected by the weather, but I have a plan to keep this happiness and optimism: perpetual summer! When I’m retired and planning to move around the world I can do so with the intention of enjoying the sun and warmth. I never have to go through an entire winter again. I don’t have to be cold again. I don’t have to be hopeless simply because of the lack of sun again.
When I suggested this to my partner (who is from the north) he expressed that a little winter wouldn’t be a bad thing…we’ll see *eyebrow raise.* When I went to college it was my first time really experiencing winter outside of a ski resort where you’re outside for maybe an hour at a time. At college we had to be in winter constantly to walk to class, visit friends and go to activities. I took an entire class about learning to appreciate and see the beauty of winter. It was nice…but being inside and warm was better 🙂 .
Either way, I see the option to choose my environment based on what makes me happiest as a wonderful luxury to look forward to. I daydream about going to bed and getting up with the sun in retirement – we’ll see 🙂 . I’ve never been a morning person. In the meantime I’ll enjoy my little patch of sun.