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 …
One of those really great mountain bike rides.
It's been a little while since I've had a really great long mountain bike ride. The kind of ride that beats you up but makes you giddy with laughter, the kind that makes your legs burn but your body and soul feel alive, the kind that leaves you feeling exhausted yet truly satisfied and happy. Today …
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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 …
Cold feet, warm heart.
I woke up this morning with a sore throat that felt like it was on fire, the sickness I'd be fighting for the past couple days still hanging on despite my attempts at curbing it with various tea concoctions. Going out into the cold and riding a bike wasn't exactly the most appealing thing at …
helena kotala 