For Those of Us in Colder Climes

In the midst of a slow, Northwestern spring, when an unexpected opportunity arose to head out of town, I jumped at it. It didn’t matter that I had more work than I had time for, or that the house was a mess, or that Tuesday had found me mostly in tears. None of that mattered—or perhaps it did matter, and it made the trip all the more necessary.

Sometimes the things that feel the most impossible are the most important for us to do.

Especially in March, when we’re being teased by the idea of spring but she hasn’t really decided to settle down and stay. Each sunny morning makes me smile, but walking out in that light fails to provide any warmth. My friend Yasir once visited me in early spring in San Francisco and said, “I didn’t realize that sunshine here comes with heat as an optional extra.”

That’s the nature of early spring, she’s a tease.



And let’s not even talk about the farmers’ markets that hold only root vegetables this time of year. We’re tired of parsnips, carrots, potatoes, cabbage. We’ve been good winter soldiers, marching forward with stiff upper lips and great resolve. Now all we want is a strawberry—just one—as a promise that sunny days are here to stay.



So I hopped on a plane, and walked off into sunshine and a spring that is a month or two into its groove. It is always a wonder to me that we can travel like this, a few hours and a whole different world lies in front of us. Although I must admit, I think I’m becoming a Pacific Northwesterner: that first afternoon felt flat out unnatural to be so warm in March.

I’m not here to torture you—those of us who have a month or two to go before we start seeing solid, reliable signs of spring, and perhaps longer before we start seeing edible signs of her. I’m not even going to post the farmers’ market photos, because frankly that would be too cruel. I just wanted to share some flowers of early spring, so you know for sure she’s coming. We just have to be patient, a little while longer.

Back shortly, with plenty of stories. For now I’m smelling the flowers.