“Minnesota Winter.” Photo by Beyond Neon via Flickr (Creative Commons License)

Diane Dettmann’s reports from Minnesota have given us glimpses of what it’s like to deal with the bracing (to put it mildly) winters in that state. (See, for instance, “Icicles in Their Hair: Christmas in Embarrass, Minnesota,”  and “Minnesota, Colder Than Antarctica.”  Reading them, we have wondered why she stays. She tells us why in this, her response to our March Challenge.

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“As much as my body yearns for a climate change, the wimpy little lamb inside me squeals, “No, no, stay!”

I’m not much of a change person. I thrive on routine and prefer life as it is—or at least, that’s the idea I’ve accepted. Maybe it’s all those years of teaching in the elementary schools. Days came and went and my life seldom deviated from the schedule. Even my childhood unspooled with unwavering routine. Those dish towels my mother embroidered with the days of the week and the task for each day became part of me. Life was pretty darn predictable, and I became very comfortable in that zone.

Despite the frigid winters, I’ve stayed glued to Minnesota, refusing to move to a warmer climate. Which is surprising, because when my parents took my brothers and me on our one and only cross-country trip—to Alhambra, California, to visit my Grandma Ruby—I fell in love with the sunshine, the meals on the patio, and the beaches along the Pacific Ocean. At the age of 8 I was determined to live in California when I grew up. But . . . I was born and raised here.

This winter, every day when I bundle up in several layers of clothes and go for my walk-run, I envision myself sprinting along the beach in shorts soaking up warm rays of sunshine. Sometimes I even close my eyes and picture myself in Cancún with the waves of the Caribbean rolling in along the shore and the sun splashing across my face.

As much as my body yearns for a climate change, the wimpy little lamb inside me squeals, “No, no, stay! You might regret moving!”

Meanwhile the lioness yells, “Get off your ass and do something! Take a leap, move to a warmer climate, you might like it!”

Easy for her to say; she doesn’t have a house filled with stuff to unload. At my age I have a lot of baggage—closets stuffed with embroidered towels, pillowcases, family heirlooms, my Ricky Nelson records, and my doll collection. How could I possibly part with my Revlon doll! Plus moving to a warmer climate would require me to find a new doctor, dentist, and hairstylist, and make new friends. I know: These are pretty lame excuses for putting up with long winters with subzero temperatures and gray skies.

“Excuses, excuses!” my lioness roars.

I agree with her: These are excuses, but moving at this point in my life would be a huge change, a decision that requires a lot of thought. I know the harsh Minnesota winters are here to stay, but I can alter the way I look at them. I’ll embrace the invigorating winter air and appreciate that those frigid temperatures burn more calories. Instead of simply skipping my walk on double-digit-below-zero days, I’ll force myself to jump on the indoor treadmill and lift weights. In the dark evenings of winter, I’ll browse through the tropical travel brochures, and maybe I’ll find the perfect seaside condo to spend a few weeks of winter in next year. Maybe that’ll appease my lioness for a while.