Spring, Some Promises, and Why Some Things Are Worth the Wait

I woke up on Sunday morning with the world reeling and my head pounding. Post St. Paddy’s Day hangover, the perfect excuse to spend all day in bed catching up on my workload.

And then I drew back the curtains. And then I fainted.

SUNSHINE. Glorious, life-giving sunshine! I ran downstairs with renewed vigour, hugged Renee and danced around the kitchen. We chattered happily while flipping omelets, popping Tylenol and downing orange juice. Screw productivity. We’re hiking Signal Hill.

We wound our way through downtown St. John’s, past the old heritage homes and the neon-coloured buildings. Paused in front of the Republic of Doyle house, a white-haired lady inside peeking out as us curiously. We were wearing sweatshirts and sneakers. Sweatshirts. And. Sneakers.

Started our ascent up Signal Hill Road, paused to explore a tiny bookstore along the way. A maze of books that I had never noticed before because I’m usually too busy trying to catch my breath. When we finally made it to the top, we sat on the stone wall and turned our bodies towards the Atlantic Ocean.

Perfection. A perfectly blue sea meeting a perfectly blue sky in a perfectly blue horizon. Just water and land and knowing that straight across from us was England, or Ireland,  or Scotland, or wherever. I’m not a bloody compass.

Then, ice-cream.
The first one of the season. I bought mine because it was yellow and had butterscotch drizzled over it. We ate inside Moo-Moos, a store painted like a giant cow. We skipped back through the old houses and the quiet downtown and I couldn’t stop grinning because summer is on its way, and sometimes I don’t ever want to leave this city.

I wrote this as a guest post for the One Travel blog but I want to share it here, too. Because this is how yesterday felt, exactly.

**

Why Everyone Should Survive a Winter in St. John’s, Newfoundland
When September rolls around and the leaves start turning red and gold, a slow, heavy dread starts lining the pit of my stomach.

This year it happened when my roommates and I cashed in all the empty beer cases left over from a summer of friends camping out on our futon in their skivvies, barbecues on the back patio, and hot afternoons dragging the kitchen table outside to play Risk.

It was a sure sign that winter was approaching.

The end of summer.

The end of summer.

There is no gradual transition to winter from fall. One day, it’s perfectly warm, sunny and calm. The next afternoon, a hurricane rips through the city and dumps 15 centimetres of snow onto your driveway, followed by icy rain pellets the size of tennis balls. The result is a thick 15-metre  impenetrable crust of hellish winter regurgitation to dig through with a plastic shovel.

St. John’s folks are hardy. Winter conditions do not consider our emotions and plans, thus simultaneously destroying both. The sidewalks do not get ploughed. Drivers curse pedestrians for occupying their road space. The snow is replaced with muddy slush, noses run constantly, and the wind rattles my 100 year old townhouse at night and slides my bed across the floor.

To be fair, there are some people who love the challenge of winter. I know of dedicated skiers who eagerly await the first snowfall so they can hit the slopes at 5 a.m. in Pippy Park. Others shine up their fancy snowmobiles or sharpen their skates.

I’m not one of those people.

But I get through it. We all get through it, those eight months of torture. And when the snow starts melting and the roads turn into rivers, something magical happens, something inspiring.

One day, slowly, and with great effort, the sun peels back a cloud and allows a little ray through. People in the streets drop their bags, peering up at the sky and shielding their eyes against the sudden glare. Pale skin turns to pink. Frozen hearts begin to melt.

Bowring Park becomes crowded with Frisbee tossers. Teams start rowing across Quidi Vidi Lake in preparation for the Royal St. John’s Regatta. George Street invites the masses for festivals and events where the entire street shuts down and people bar hop without paying all the cover fees. The restaurants with decks become so crowded, you’re apt to just eat your food on the sidewalk.

Because when those warm days start moving in, you appreciate them. You hold onto those hot summer nights, no matter how sticky and muggy, and you damn well appreciate them. You hug them tight to your warmth-deprived body, and you never let go. Everything changes. Everything is alive again.

  • March 15 2010

    What you speak of is so foreign to me. I live in this place called “reverse world,” also known as Southern California. When I CAN’T wear flip-flops and t-shirts, I curse the world. I don’t know you survive the cold winters of Canada. I was going to say “plenty of pizza,” but then I remembered your 6-week vacations and public health care system and got insanely jealous. Worthy sacrifice, I suppose.

    • March 16 2010

      Sooo true! I used to live on the cold east coast, but now I’m a complete sissy that lives in flip flops in Southern Cali. (And I’m a teacher, so the vacation thing is all good on my end :) )

      • March 19 2010

        Oh man, I wish I could live in flip-flops. Winter clothes is freaking expensive.

    • March 19 2010

      Six week vacations! HAH! I wish! Two weeks. Although the health care is pretty sweet.

  • March 15 2010

    8 months of torture… that reminds me of growing up in Wisconsin (we call it sub-Canadia sometimes). There is a saying – you know you are from Wisconsin if you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction. Happy Spring sounds like you had a lovely day!

    • March 19 2010

      Hahaha yep, that’s about the same as our saying!

  • March 16 2010
    maggie

    lovely :) I am a fan of winter, I will admit… and St John’s definitely gave me some glorious winter days… but, I’m also a big fan of summer in St John’s, as it never gets too hot and there’s often a lovely breeze :D

    Though, in my world, there is no ice cream “season” unless you consider “year-round” a season… ;)

    • March 19 2010

      *sigh* I just can’t eat ice-cream in the winter. Feels so…wrong.

      • March 20 2010
        maggie

        it’s definitely more magical in the summer, but it’s still delicious in the winter. especially christmas time ice cream. om nom nom.

  • March 16 2010

    Reminds me of growing up in Michigan… Southern Michigan, where I’m from, doesn’t get to wintery, but Northern Michigan sure does. Summer is always so, so worth those frozen months.

    • March 19 2010

      Seriously! I think it makes us appreciate them that much more.

  • March 16 2010

    You are too cute Candice. That’s all there is too it.

  • March 16 2010

    Can I borrow that car for a minute?

    • March 19 2010

      We’re in the process of filling another one, you are welcome to join!

  • March 16 2010

    Oh, my God. I can SO relate to this. It’s like this in Vermont, too, only we have just 6 months of winter. (“Just.”) Every winter, I ask myself every single day “Why the hell do I live here?” But spring, summer and fall are pretty awesome, and they lull me into submission so I forget how bad winter is until it’s suddenly upon me again.

    • March 19 2010

      “Lull into submission” — that is EXACTLY what happens, haha.

  • March 16 2010

    Sunshine is the perfect cure for a hangover.

    • March 19 2010

      Unless it’s filtering into your window dressings at 7 a.m. the morning after.

  • March 16 2010

    i did the happy-spring-jig-of-eternal-delight yesterday as the sun splashed all over the concrete and the tops of peoples heads and yes, the cherry blossoms!

    here’s to a fruitful spring full of inspired hikes and the chant of the winter-waking spirit “Fuck productivity!” let’s get outside!

    • March 19 2010

      HELL yes! How long before we start bitching about how hot it is? Few more months yet?

  • March 16 2010

    Oh, this is so exciting to read! That photo on the boulder – it does indeed look like a glorious day! And the beer cans in the car photo – you should make that your FB proile photo or something. Get it out in the world more. That is priceless!

    (I am sorry to hear you began your Sunday by fainting, though. That must have been rough. I hate it when I wake up and immediately faint.)

    • March 19 2010

      Hahaha, that picture is pretty spectacular isn’t it? I should have mentioned that the trunk was filled too…

  • March 16 2010

    What a glorious day to be out in the mountains!

    Love the photo of the beer boxes in the car ^_^

  • March 16 2010

    Yikes, I could never live in such a cold place! Nice post celebrating the sunshine!!! :)

  • March 18 2010

    The sun just returned to Seattle as well, and the days are now longer. I feel like a butterfly, released from a cocoon of sweaters. A slightly chubby butterfly (from eating warm, comforting food), but STILL.

    • March 19 2010

      I know, right? Doesn’t help that my office has free hot chocolate, cafe lattes, etc. Gah!

  • March 18 2010
    meg

    i had the exact same reaction to warm weather…yesterday i went outside without a coat, and it was glorious. and today is also lovely. ahh, everybody is in such a better mood in springtime.
    god, i wish i had a hike like that near my house! newfoundland is just way too beautiful.

    • March 19 2010

      I know! Everyone was out, smiling and walking around. It’s so lovely. I’ll never get tired of hiking Signal Hill.

  • March 18 2010

    Beautiful, lyrical, enthralling description of spring coming to your life – I couldn’t help but get all caught up and excited and feeling joyful, even though I live where it’s too effing hot to move much of the year and yesterday I had to turn on the A/C. Sigh.

    • March 19 2010

      Thanks, Trisha! Such a lovely comment. And NEVER take that sorta thing for granted. :) Ahhh, air conditioning…

  • March 18 2010

    Candice, I think sunshine does cure a hangover. That was a beatiful picture, by the way – with the ocean in the background. Wow. And I’m not sure how you got a picture of my car with all the beer in it. I thought I was more discreet than that.

    • March 19 2010

      I felt kinda bad for the lady who picked them up, I mean, she had to drive around like that. She must have gotten some weird looks.

  • March 18 2010
    Sarah

    Wait — wasn’t St. Paddy’s day yesterday? That must have been a gnarly hangover.

    • March 19 2010

      One week celebration, my friend! One week.

  • March 23 2010

    This was beautiful, Candice. (Catching up on my reader today!) I got caught up in your homage to spring and summer. I can’t tell you how giddy I’ve been lately now that I got to dig out my flip flops again here in NC.

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