It had to be different this year; something had to change. Winter in Minnesota requires and demands both physical and mental resilience, even for people who’ve lived through it for many years. The cold and darkness takes a toll in so many different ways that even the hardiest of residents will complain about it at some point. February of 2014 for me was one of the lowest points I’ve experienced in my life and I wasn’t able to put a finger on exactly what pushed me there other than the brutal conditions. I haven’t really been able to enjoy or appreciate winter since I was a kid, especially the dark months of January and February, and I likely have seasonal affective disorder. With that in mind I decided to look into heading south for an extended period of time last winter and I was lucky enough to earn permission. While ...(Read More)