It's been a long winter. A winter that, for those of us in Central Pennsylvania, has been harsher than many of those in recent years. We experienced more days below zero or in the single digits than I can remember, and snow has been on the ground nearly continuously all season. I'm usually not one …
A colliding of seasons.
A light drizzle falls as we say our temporary goodbyes and mount our bicycles, briskly pedaling up the lane, then coasting down the ice-and-snow-coated gravel to the hard road. It feels warm---with temps in the 40s reminiscent of the spring thaw, especially compared to last week's single digits and below-zeros. It's warm enough that I …
2013.
I can't believe this year is over already. But when I look at where I was at the beginning of 2013 and where I am now, and all that's happened in between, it's hard to believe it's been only a year. Last January, I was getting ready to finish up my last semester at Penn …
Hygge.
I recently read an article about the Danish concept of “hygge,” a word with no exact English translation, but which means something like “coziness” or “togetherness.” The article focused on how this concept is used in Danish culture as a way to get through the dark, cold days of winter with high spirits. Last Sunday, …
The arrival of winter.
Winter snuck up on me this year. It seems like just yesterday that I was returning home from Japan, with the end of summer and all of fall ahead of me. The leaves were still green, the air was still warm, and friends gathered around the fire pit outside. Now, the first snow of the …
Building wheels.
It's the wheels that make the bicycle. They're what keeps you rolling, what takes the brunt of the impact through that rock garden or off that drop. A bad pair of wheels quickly ruins a great bike. So, needless to say, they're important. And so, for this reason, hand-building a bicycle wheel is an incredibly …
Wednesday night.
Outside the cabin, a motley crew of people gather. Some have been strangers until now, some are friends reunited after too long, some know each other all too well. Some ride every day, some a couple times a week, but for a few, this will be their first ride in months. Our ages range from …
Happiness.
I’m having one of those days when I am so unbelievably happy that I am smiling to myself for no reason whatsoever. So happy I want to laugh out loud, even though nothing is that funny. So happy I want to dance, just because. I am satisfied with the present, content to be right where …
To the nth degree.
I've been trying to come up with a good name for this blog for a while. The first, "Human Nature," came to me one day last fall, when I first started the site. My thought was, I write a lot about being outside, in the woods, in nature...but I also write about life, about being …
helena kotala 