Maëlys McArdle

A good winter

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Maëlys McArdle

in

This is the first winter in recent memory where I’ve consistently been in high spirits. Previously, I only experienced that during summers.

I can think of a few reasons why that might be:

  • I live in an apartment that gets a lot of natural light
    • I moved from an apartment whose only source of natural light was a dark alley a few years ago
  • I am no longer deficient in Vitamin D
    • I increased the dosage of my supplements
  • I have kept pushing my comfort zone in order to acquire new experiences
    • I started skating for the first time since I was 18/19
    • I practiced not procrastinating and turning weekends into mini-adventures
    • I picked up new hobbies
  • I made my home into a cozy space that I want to be in
    • Blankets! Plants! Candles! Decor! Movies and video games!
  • My bff and I have been hanging out three times a week to write together – I feel creatively fulfilled
  • Evenings and weekends are mine
    • I quit a stressful job that had regular unpaid on-call

Whatever the case, this was a good winter for me. I wanted to share some of that in photos:

Barbegazi, a snowmobile acrobatic show in downtown Ottawa.
The Mayfair, an old theater in Ottawa where I watched the documentary “Mr. Nobody Against Putin”
Merrickville is home to Pickle and Myrrh, which produces caramels of all flavours; I had the butter tart one.
Almonte makes even a coffee shop visit magical
I went skating on the canal for the first time in twenty years.
Of course, skating means a beaver tail.
I went to the Ottawa Charge game. Women’s hockey is the best hockey.
I attended a laser and music show at the Byward Market.
I attended a laser and music show at the Byward Market.
I went to Taffy Lane, where every house is wildly decorated for Christmas.
I went to 613flea, a popular market in Ottawa.
I visited my friends!
I went for so many walks.
So, so many walks.
I checked out so many local coffee shops.
I went to multiple sugar shacks, including this family-run one with the Jeep Club called Wheeler’s.

There’s so much more I did, including going to a sapphic dance party, spending a day in Montreal, attending Christmas markets, going to Montebello, so many local food adventures… and I think that’s kind of the key for me.

My favourite thing to do is to travel, but what I like about traveling is enjoying being in new places and having novel experiences. So by introducing elements of that to the other 50 weeks of the year where I don’t travel, it’s really made my weekends and evenings so much more enjoyable.

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