What happens when warm weather strikes early in the year — like it did last Wednesday, February 8, in Williamsburg? How can we make the most of this silver lining of climate change? Do seasons even exist in our strange little bubble? Stick with me while I try to answer these difficult questions.
Weather in Williamsburg is fickle, and nothing short of snow just hours after the nicest weather of the entire year should come as a shock to anyone.
Warm weather means that you need to spend time outside, even while you might have class. Weather in Williamsburg is fickle, and nothing short of snow just hours after the nicest weather of the entire year should come as a shock to anyone. This means that you should beg each of your professors to move their lecture outside, especially for large intro level courses. If your request is not honored, leave. That type of monster is not someone you want to learn anything from.
Once you’re outside on a warm day, you are already on the pursuit of happiness. Look around and take stock of what you see. Happy people. Dogs. If you make the wise decision of spending time on the Sunken Gardens, sports on the grass. These things have an infectious way of elevating mood, especially after spending most time indoors during winter’s cold.
If you’re anything like I am and find long walks soothing, there’s never a better time to walk than in the warm, unencumbered by heavy clothing and coats. Take a stroll through beautiful Colonial Williamsburg for the 100th time and breathe in the wonderful smell of horse. Visit The Cheese Shop, where for the small price of an arm and a leg you can buy a sandwich that’s hardly tastier than one from Wawa. Watch the ice skating rink begin to melt. To tell you the truth, I think I might just prefer our gorgeous campus to Colonial Williamsburg.
Next time it’s 70 degrees in February, do yourself a favor: spend the day outside.
As I sat out on the Sunken Gardens writing this story, I began to think that maybe global warming isn’t so bad after all. Maybe I should start looking for ways to increase my ecological footprint, and not just because I think that bottled water tastes better than tap. Life is all about give and take, and if the price we have to pay for more beautiful days like that one is a catastrophic demographic disaster, then so be it. Sounds like a big league deal to me, and I say that as someone from Long Island. My home will be one of the first places underwater when Earth’s oceanic wrath takes vengeance on our species.
Sarcasm aside, warm weather, like life, is a precious thing that should be cherished while we have the opportunity. So next time it’s 70 degrees in February, do yourself a favor: spend the day outside while you can and enjoy the beautiful weather. You deserve it.
Email Nick Phair at nwphair@email.wm.edu.