Adjusting

The cold is surprisingly one of the easier changes to acclimate to. Especially if it’s a sunny day. I actually enjoy long walks in the brisk, bright cold days here, because sunshiny days are not to be taken for granted during an east coast fall/winter season.

I’m from here — born and raised in Brooklyn, New York —but had been living in Southern California for 11 years until just 3 months ago.

It’s been a difficult shift, more difficult than I expected. The pace of life and traffic is quite too fast and chaotic for me, though in that regard, for safety, I’ve rapidly changed to (or should I say, reverted back to) personal movements that are quicker, sharper—constantly on alert for the unexpected.

So, I’ve been finding ways to balance my need for air, light, and finding beauty on my daily walks within the context of heightened self-awareness in a more urban, high-traffic environment.

Today I paid attention to the lights and Yule festiveness. Multicolored lights twinkling on a skinny, bare-branched tree. White sparkly stars alongside the Avenue signs. A Christmas tree seller on a side street off Cortelyou Road, with tiny to small-medium trees, perfect for a small apartment space. The pine scent reminded me, as pine always does, of the huge tree outside my grandmother’s home in New Jersey —occasional visits there gave me some of the most exposure to natural, earthy beauty I enjoyed as a child.

I usually try to set out while the sun is high, work allowing, but I couldn’t leave until after four in the afternoon today. So I got to see the crisp sun set, with faint wintery pinks and blues fading into deep navy.

Walking home, the Christmas lights were so cheerful against the night sky. It truly helped me find, maybe not so far as cheer, but a welcome sense of contentment.

Erica Magdalene