Maybe it's just me, but fall daylight savings has me in bed by 7pm most nights--and productivity hits an all-time low. There's something about shorter days, colder temps, and snow-dusted streets that make me want to burrow under a pile of blankets until the flowers bloom and spring is here once again. Sure, the next month will be filled with Christmas lights, holiday shopping, and *lots* of eggnog--but how do we fill the rest of the winter months once the magic's all over?

As a lifelong New England gal, I spend most of my winter counting down the days to summer, when ice cream tastes better and time moves slower. I get nostalgic for baseball games and the first sunburn of the season--dusting sand off my legs and s'mores on hazy sunset evenings, warm breezes with the windows rolled down. Oldies played over the radio down long, winding roads filled with aimless thoughts, old friends, and laughter. Endless laughter.

I remember my first music festival, dripping in sweat and singing my heart out; or the summer I learned to ride a bike (more recently than you'd expect). Waking up at sunrise to hit the pavement before humidity hit or to lay on the beach with nobody around for miles--just me with a book, wide-brimmed hat, and the waves kissing my toes.

Sunflower fields and drive-in movies. Climbing mountains, swimming in waterfalls and finding new adventures in unexpected places. Going on breakfast dates and road trips, and sipping lemonade outside. Learning how to let go and live easy (thanks, Sublime).

These are the things I look forward to most.

When the holiday stress starts to get to me, I remind myself that better, sunnier times are ahead. So go ahead and let yourself escape in your thoughts for awhile. Replace the cold nights with thoughts of summers come and gone, and the adventures that still await.