There’s been a shift. There was no specific date that called for it, nor one defining clue, but it’s undeniable. An increasing level of energy is bubbling up inside me that can’t go unnoticed.
I’m coming out of my wintering.
It’s the most I’ve ever felt this, and I can’t fathom why it’s so strong, but I feel like a physical embodiment of the changing seasons. I’m like a gently bubbling champagne that’s already begun to rise; the cork is halfway out and I’m impatient for the pop to effervesce into the light.
A zest for doing, for moving and achieving, has returned — and if it hasn’t reached you yet, I hope you’re next.
Feeling slightly smug at my emergence a whole month before the season officially turns, I thought I’d share five things connected to the spring in my step. I’m not sure, in some cases, whether it’s the things below that have helped my emergence, or whether the emergence has caused the things below. It’s a chicken-and-egg situation. But regardless, if you’re still held by winter’s oppressive grasp… these might help kickstart your bounce into renewal.
And if there’s anything that’s helped summon your energy back, please share it with us in the comments.
Over a week ago, we picked up a little bag of beans from a local garden centre. The simple act of committing to a new growing season felt optimistic in itself. But a couple of days later, when we headed up to the allotment as a family to pop our first crop into the raised beds, it felt genuinely uplifting.
I made the holes in the soil, our two-year-old popped the beans in, and then we tucked them in, hoping they’ll poke their little heads out soon.
We haven’t done much tending over the winter, so getting the first crop into the soil, something that will brighten the whole place when it emerges, felt like a lightening activity.
Whilst Joe and I tended to the patch, Jack checked on his bees (and filmed a little update with the girls — we’ll share that soon).
Whether it’s a pot on the windowsill or a veg patch outside, I wholeheartedly recommend getting those first seedlings on the go.
There’s no point putting nice clothes on at the moment - after carrying Joe from the boat to the car, I turn up at nursery looking like I’ve just completed a Tough Mudder. But whenever the sun shows its face, and it’s happening more often now, it gets worshipped.
Last week we hit dizzying heights of 1kW coming in through the solar panels on our boat (that’s what we’d expect in midsummer), and that alone is enough to know winter’s harshness is fading.
When the light streams through a window, or breaks through a cloud on a walk, no matter how fleeting the visit, turn your face towards it. It’s reassuring. It’s warming. We’re almost there.
This one took me by surprise.
On a dog walk through a local wood, Jack and I spotted the familiar pointed leaves poking through the soil in one of our usual wild garlic spots. But that wasn’t why we were there.
A few steps later, and it was confirmed, the woodland floor was alive with wild garlic, big enough for us to collect a few young leaves to bring home. We stirred them through winter greens and served them alongside a celeriac gratin and roast potatoes. A winter warmer with the taste of spring. Absolutely delicious.
Wild garlic is the marker in our calendar for the changing season — early spring’s first wild edible that truly gets us excited. If you’re a wild garlic fanatic like us, head to your local foraging spot and see what’s erupting from the soil. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you that bold green shoots are pushing winter aside.
This one admittedly came once the stirring of energy was already there. But you never know - it might kickstart or expedite your own journey.
Joe Wicks has reappeared in my YouTube history. My running shoes have re-emerged from the depths of the car. I’ve needed an outlet for this bubbling energy - something that calls for an explosive workout or a run in the rain.
Expelling energy makes space for more to be created, and the circle begins again. For me, this surge of zeal for doing is exactly what gearing up for spring feels like - and I’ve never felt it quite so strongly. So whether it’s a countryside walk, a yoga practice, or a run, I’d recommend giving it a go.
This is last on my list, as I’m fairly sure this one happened once my emergence was already in full swing - but I’ve had a trip to the hairdressers for a tidy-up.
Part of winter’s appeal is cosying in, letting ourselves rest, and with it, our appearance (or mine, anyway) gets a little less attention. But as I step towards this season of hope and regrowth, I’ve felt compelled to snip off the dead ends and put a little more love into my skin and feeling presentable.
Jack hates a visit to the barber, so perhaps this one isn’t for you. But if, like me, you enjoy a little pampering, then here’s your excuse to get it booked in.
If you’re not already there, and have felt a tight grasp of winter this year, then I hope my experience in breaking free will help loosen the clasp. We’re close.
Until next time,
Gabby x
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