It seems that one of my previous posts may have given you the impression that I hate the winter, cope poorly and that the Bomb Cyclone temporarily ruined my life.

Well that impression is 100% accurate and indicates that I am an excellent writer and expressed my feelings accurately without any hyperbole at all.

Not to belabor this winter thing, but I don’t think I’ve ever had less incentive to leave my house than I did last week. And it wasn’t one bitter day, it was ten bitter days. We don’t have a car and my life involves a lot of walking, which I love, with the distinct exception of walking when the weather freezes your eyelashes because of the bitter tears of winter rage that are falling from them.

While some of this discontentment was likely fueled by Kill All The Things and general Whole30 life adjustment, I feel relatively certain that my reaction would have been just as grumpy, slaying Sugar Dragons or not.

Then today, the Bomb Cyclone of Death left us and in its wake a glorious 45 degree day and with it this unusual, bright orb that magically filled me with warmth and inexplicable joy!

And folks, I have never in my life been so grateful to only require one pair of pants to leave my home, and that my scarf could comfortably rest upon my neck instead of mummy wrapped around all face orifices.

I took every single opportunity to walk today. I walked 40 minutes from a meeting back home only to immediately turn around and walk to the gym. I walked and walked immersed in a cloud of joy that only a blue sky, no wind and above freezing temperatures can bring.

Then I realized along one of my gratuitous strolls, that two weeks ago I would have probably been cold. Same walks. Same temperature. But a completely different level of appreciation.

I started thinking about the power of perspective and how much my Whole30 experience has already impacted my lens on food. I am walking past the open bag of plantain chips on the kitchen counter that would have held at least 6.5 minutes of my attention two weeks ago, whether I was hungry or not. My usual beer with my dad (visiting this week) was happily and intentionally replaced by Chamomile Tea. Having a beer or eating plantain chips is not bad, but I was doing both (and about a thousand other things) mindlessly…without attention, intention or gratitude.

I keep swearing that I will never take 40 degree weather for granted again (JUST NEVER, EVER LEAVE ME AGAIN SUNSHINE! I DON’T OWN ENOUGH PANTS!). But I know I eventually will considering it took freezing my eyeballs shut for 10 days for me to really and truly appreciate it.

I think there is a lot of similarity in what Whole30 is teaching me to do. It’s not that I can’t have plantain chips after this 30 day journey but I know I will make that decision with more intention and appreciation than I did two weeks ago, where my move was to mindlessly shovel them into my face while watching Melissa’s Instagram Stories. If I choose to have a beer, it will be because I’ve decided it is worth it, not just because it’s there and Dad is in town.

What an amazing, powerful thing!

So even though we are slogging through low energy moments that swing to high energy moments fast enough to give you Whole30 Whiplash, this is our reset. Our nutritional Bomb Cyclone (minus the frozen eyelashes and risk of hypothermia). This is our chance to reframe the exact same choices we were making before, but appreciate them in a new light.

While I am very much enjoying the fact that I am only wearing one pair of pants at a time right now, I know it won’t hold a candle to that very first, glorious Olivia-Pope-Sized glass of celebratory wine on Day 31…consumed only because it was determined absolutely, positively worth it.

P.S. If you haven’t read Jen’s amazing post from Day 8 you are missing out!