Embracing winter

I’m now well into my first winter in Michigan and it’s been quite the feat. Have some pity on me, it’s cold here! Not only is it cold, it is snowy. For what seemed like weekend after weekend, beginning in late November, the snow continued to fall. The first snowfall is pretty, while you watch from inside. But it makes getting around challenging. The roads have to be cleared, the sidewalks de-iced and the layers put on to make sure you don’t freeze. For a while, it was easier to stay in, warm and cozy, and not embrace the elements. But, as you know, that’s not me and now how I choose to operate. So recently, I’ve decided to fill up my winter calendar with get togethers with friends, walks when possible and adventures. This is all in the name of getting to know this great city.

In the summer and fall, it’s easy to fall in love with Grand Rapids. The weather is nice, people are out and about, our convenient downtown apartment means we can walk just about anywhere. But now that it’s much colder, it takes more of a positive attitude to truly embrace winter. Last weekend, while we had the whole Saturday in front of us, I decided I wanted to take advantage of the sunshine and go ice skating. We bundled up and walked down to the rink. I also brought my camera to take pictures of downtown.

I rented a pair of skates – only $2 – and laced them up. The ice skating rink was packed! I inched my way toward the rink and began to skate. To my credit, I was able to stay upright the whole time and skate around the rink multiple times without holding the rail all the way. It was the perfect activity for a Saturday afternoon. After I skated for as much as I could, I returned the skates. Amar and I were ready for lunch and continued our walk toward the direction of Grand Central Market. This place is truly a catch in downtown Grand Rapids. It serves breakfast, hot and cold sandwiches, soups and pastries. It’s definitely one of my favorite places to get lunch. On the walk there, I stopped to take a photo of a scenic intersection, seen below. 

We had some delicious sandwiches and kettle chips at the market. After, we finished our adventure and walked back to our apartment. Although it takes more effort and a lot more layers, there is still a lot to love about Grand Rapids in the winter. The city’s downtown development agency is hosting a five-day winter festival called Snow Days that starts on February 10. There will be a Valentine’s themed ice sculpture exhibit, walking tours and live ice-carving events. We will definitely plan to visit the festival. We are also going to check out a fat tire bike event coming up. I also recently began my term on the board of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, so I will be meeting a new group of young professionals and friends. Junior League of Grand Rapids is picking up, too. One great part about winter is that hibernating has meant plenty of time to read. I’ve already finished two novels this year. I’ve set my goal at ten for 2017. Let’s see how I do! Happy Winter, everyone.