Winter in New York

I was a bit apprehensive coming to New York in January. I had initially planned this whole experiment to happen in May — there's no where I'd rather be in spring (or fall... or summer...) than the city. But circumstances being what they are, I'm here and it's right smack in the middle of winter.

The day I arrived it was 50 degrees and rainy, and there have been a few more of those spring-teases sprinkled in, but mostly it's been, you know, wintry. I'd been here in winter before, but only once when it was really, really cold. It was a pretty miserable trip, one I certainly didn't want to recreate spread over two long and frigid months.

To my pleasant surprise I'm actually loving it here, despite, or maybe even because of, the cold. The city feels different in the winter.

The parks are not desolate, but they're certainly not packed either. There are less tourists, of course, which means I get to go famous places like Grant's Tomb on my lunch break and have the place completely to myself. Places that are absolutely beautiful in the spring and summer are still picturesque, but in a different way.

I am totally happy with my decision to come here when I did.

When I imagined living here, I always dreaded the winter — what would I do without being able to nap on park lawns or take long walks in the evenings? Well, I can't take park naps — at least not on the lawns, which are closed until April — but I can still take long walks, I just need the proper gear.

These boots have been a lifesaver (bonus - they're on sale right now!) and keep my feet unbelievably toasty, and lest I go one blog post without mentioning the hat. I'm also loving these touchscreen-finger gloves I got from Target, which come in handy when I'm checking train arrival times, looking up directions or Instagramming on my lunch break. I've also discovered a new way to wrap my heavy, knit scarves that all but covers my face but keeps me incredibly comfortable and warm. The Swedish apparently have a saying that "there's no bad weather, only bad clothing" and I think now that I've found the right items, I would definitely agree.

I've always been a big fan of all four seasons, and I wouldn't trade my snowy walks in the park for anything — not even a field of tulips — and luckily I know I can have both. Even the Conservatory Gardens, absolutely breathtaking in spring, are still gorgeous on a sunny February day. It's supposed to snow again on Friday night, and I'm hoping there's at least one huge snowfall (more than a dusting) before I leave.

Spring will come eventually, that's the nice, predictable thing about seasons. It may even be early, according to Punxsutawney Phil, but for now I intend to enjoy every minute that it seems like I have New York all to myself.