hecklersworld

I live in Ohio. If you have never lived in Ohio or been to Ohio for a significant period than what you need to know is that it is gray here a lot of the time. It isn’t as bitterly cold as some places and the weather doesn’t reach miserable extremes very often. During the winter we have snow, but not the whole time. During the summer the heat can rival Florida – but just enough to make swimming pleasant and not so much that we spend much time hiding in the air conditioning from the heat. It can be beautiful. If you drive through the state you’ll find little red farm houses surrounded by grazing cattle, enough hills and valleys to keep the landscape from being boring, and most of the state has beautiful trees of all different kinds. We have little rivers, some beautiful hiking places, and satisfying points of culture and shopping. It isn’t a horrible place. There are enough restaurants, museums, and shopping to keep one entertained, but not enough to make it a tourist destination. It’s a nice place to come back to  – a good place to call home.

The problem with Ohio is winter. Winter is gray here. The cold is not nearly the problem that the gray is. In Ohio we dutifully ignore Winter’s coming until the holidays have passed. “The Holidays” are a season of their own that come just prior to winter. After New Years when the Christmas lights have come down all of Ohio buckles down in their homes and impatiently waits for the first indications of Spring which normally arrive sometime around mid March. If the calendar was a road trip, January and February are the part of the drive where you check your GPS every five minutes to see how much closer you are to your destination. It’s a lonely Friday night with nothing on TV when everyone you know has plans and your cable has gone out. It’s complete boredom with a dash of loneliness and despair. The end of the world could come and you would meet it with a shrug. There’s ice and snow, and those aren’t particularly pleasant, but mostly there’s gray.

It’s during this time of year every year when I feel compelled to do something to escape. I check my bank account and calculate how much I need to make a break for it. My Pinterest travel board swells with pictures of beaches and sunshine, cobblestone walkways and cafes, and well manicured gardens with blooming flowers. I dream of adventure. It was during this time of year my friend asked if I’d like to go to Hong Kong. I had a limited amount of time left at my current job, so I had the time to go, but a little more money set aside would make it more comfortable. It would probably be smarter to stay put.

Gray skies do not make you smarter. Gray skies encourage you to throw it all on the line to break free.

In less than one week I get on a plane and go half way around the world. I’ll tell you all about it. January and February are not the only gray. Maybe you can break free too.