I have to say that one of the strangest things about being here below the equator is the flip-flop of the seasons. Here it is almost June and the days are getting shorter and colder. The leaves on the trees are turning from orange-yellow to brown and beginning to fall from the branches. In December, Zach and I took a long walk on a warm sunny beach in the north of Chile. In January, I walked around in flip-flops, shorts and tank tops. On July 4th, we have plans to go skiing to celebrate Independence Day in the US.
Today, Zach and I woke up to a fresh coat of snow on the Andes. Super Beautiful. We are in awe of them. But it’s June, right? Ski seasons starts in a few weeks. I’m thinkin’ Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. But nope. June?
It does seems a little normal to me that it should be going into fall/winter now. We just had summer. The season needs to change. Sure the months seem a little off, but you get over the names after awhile. However, several times this weekend we’ve chatted with family and the friends in the US who were barbecuing, swimming, wearing tank tops. And then we remember, oh yeah… it’s summer in the US. How crazy is that… season lag sets in. It’s tough for things to seem a little off all the time weather wise. You feel a little like, “This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.” But it is. To most people around you, this is all they know. June is winter.
I’ve been cooped up alone in the apartment reading most of the day due to this nasty cold I’ve had, so i’ve had some time to ponder the seasons. It’s amazing to me how much they regulate our lives and our feelings about the future and what is happening around us. They give us a rhythm, just like they do for the plant and animal life around us. So it’s weird when your rhythm has switched around you, especially as you watch the same normal rhythm happening for everyone back in the US.
Don’t get me wrong, although I feel a little melancholy from it today, I am so grateful for the opportunities we have had. The beach on Christmas. Skiing on July 4th. Eating wonderful summer fruits in January. It’s been awesome, and I know it’s an experience we will cherish. I’m headed to curl up in the warmth of my bed and hope my cough doesn’t keep me up again half the night. Cough Cough. It’s winter.
