Winters in Chicago are tough. It’s dark more often than not, and temperatures frequently dip below zero degrees. And then when it snows, you have to deal with shoveling your car out of your parking space on the street. To dib or not to dib? That is the question. (I say no dibs but I fully understand the sentiment after shoveling out both mine and Matt’s cars several times last year.) To battle seasonal depression and get me through spring, I’ve created a winter bucket list. Some things on the list are holiday-dependent while others are just things to do throughout the season.
Visit Christkindlmarket – Christkindlmarket is, as you’ve probably guessed, a Christmas market! Every winter, Daley Plaza – and now Gallagher Way (at Wrigley) – host a variety of vendors. Think mulled wine, pulled cheese, beautiful Christmas ornaments and decorations, and more! It really gets you in the Christmas spirit even if you’re only going to look at the lights. The weekends are absolute insanity but if you can get there on a weekday or weeknight, it’s worth the trip!
…and check out some Christmas Bars! – I’ve yet to go to a fully decked out Christmas bar and there are so many! I’m making it my mission to get to one this year. Butch McGuire’s, anyone?
Go on a ski trip – Snowboarding is one of my favorite winter activities. This year, Matt’s nephew got a season pass to his local ski hill and that’s enough to convince Matt to give it a second go. (He went on a ski trip to Colorado in college and spent more time on his butt than he did gliding down the hill.) And listen, I’m no Johnny Tsunami but I love to get outside, get some fresh air, and get active! Plus: après ski, anyone?
Bake all of the Christmas cookies – Specifically, chocolate chip, peppermint mocha, and cranberry white chocolate.
Organize my digital space – I mean, this is fairly self explanatory. I went from Windows to Apple in college and I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t gotten my sh*t together since. I really would like to organize my photos and videos, documents, emails, etc, and develop a system that makes sense.
Get a massage (and maybe a facial) – Self-care has been a priority lately and I’m in desperate need of a massage. Maybe I’ll treat myself to an entire spa day!
And start doing yoga – Yeah, my back hurts. It’s not pretty and I’m too young for this! Also, maybe that whole meditation/namaste thing has merit. (I’m a spaz.)
Plan a winter getaway – Even with fun events and activities planned for winter in Chicago, it’s still nice to get away. Matt and I have a long weekend in Florida planned for January that we are already looking forward to. We also have a whole week off in February that we’re trying to finalize our destination. I think we’re leaning towards Maui but going abroad is not off the table. Thoughts? I, personally, am gung-ho for Hawaii because I really want to do Galway (and therefore Ireland!) around Christmas-time.
Go see the lights – This is something Matt and I haven’t done um… ever?! I’d really like to go take a stroll through one of the more festive neighborhoods (or downtown!) to see the Christmas lights. We went to Zoo Lights in Washington DC a few years ago which was so fun, so now we need to make our own city a priority.
So, there you have it!
What’s on your winter bucket list?
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