Each post contains a thread of me, but for first time readers…Welcome. My full name is Barbara, but over time it’s shortened to Barb, and I respond to either.

Living in Texas it’s difficult to enjoy being outdoors during the summer months, but the Winters make up for it. I grew up to believe that you stayed inside for most of the Winter. Mama believed you’d catch your death of cold from being outside too long, so we stayed indoors for the majority of the season, but as soon as Spring arrived with warmer temperatures, we were expected to be outdoors more than inside.

One of the perks of being an adult is deciding how many of the beliefs from our past serve the person we’re becoming today and this one belief prohibited me from enjoying the best part of the year to be outside in Texas. My mindset began to change after Snowmaggedon 2021 arrived and my daughter talked me into going for a walk in shin deep snow. It was so beautiful and it’d been decades since experiencing that depth of stillness.

We were the only adults out in it, but you could hear the yelling, screaming, laughing and a little crying coming from children trying to sled. They knew exactly what snow meant and how it was to be used for fun…but once we became adults, we lost that childlike wonder and began seeing it as an aggravation, or hindrance in our lives.

The following year, my daughter moved away from home to begin living her own life, so I lost my winter walking partner, but experimented with walking the neighborhood solo. Being alone in my quest, everyone was inside their homes staying warm from the cold, which during summer I retreat indoors from the heat, but I cannot thrive indoors year around. I recalled how I was raised and walking during the Winter wasn’t normal.

We get to choose a new normal at any time.

By 2024, walking the winter is what I looked forward to all summer and I started taking notes from the walks. In 2026, I began sharing what the walks taught me in hopes of encouraging others to step outside too. It’s emailed out once a month starting in September, through March, and usually the evening of the full moon. I’d love for you to join me in Walking the Winter, and you can opt-in here.