springsick

I'm taking just a little break from blogging about our trip today to write a little bit about the current state of things (although I am still working on loading more photos (and writing more captions) on my picassa page, so keep checking in).

I am feeling a little disappointed to be back in Tianjin today. It may seem silly, but I think my disappointment is mostly weather-related. Most of the time we were in Guilin, Chongqing, Chengdu and Xi'an, we didn't need hats, gloves or scarves, and some of the days we didn't even need to wear coats. There were days in Chengdu and Guilin in particular when we could walk around with short sleeves, and no jackets even!

Spending so many days in that kind of beautiful weather, I kind of got my hopes up about returning to a warmer, springier Tianjin. I was looking forward to walking around our home city in a light jacket, feeling the spring breezes blow through my hair, and sensing the days getting warmer and warmer as we advanced deeper into spring.

Then we actually arrived in Tianjin, where the temperatures were (still!) at a blustery 28 degrees Fahrenheit. It snowed Tuesday night, a little bit yesterday, and some more early this morning. The temperatures haven't risen above freezing since we've been back, and we've barely left the house in the past couple of days, trying to stay where it's warm and dry.

The other night I was chatting with my sister, Megs, online. She said she had recently bought a spring-colored new purse, because she thought if she carried it, it might make spring come more quickly. I understand that feeling. I've been perusing spring clothing online (even though I can't buy it) and daydreaming about spending afternoons on warm patios with cold beers or hot coffees. In my head, spring is already supposed to be here, even if it is still mid-February.

But the reality outside of my head (confirmed by the reality outside my window) is that we are still firmly within winter's grasp. Here's hoping it will let go of us soon.

our local winter wonderland