Cabin fever, the summer version

I succumb to cabin fever with alarming speed.

While most people relish the big snow storms, the rainy day, the built-in-excuse to stay indoors, I get antsy at the thought of it.

I like to be out, amongst the people, where the life is happening.

So when the forecast predicts temperatures of 105 degrees and every meteorologist on the east coast warns that Saturday is a day to say inside and stay cool, I only half heed their warnings.

And I convince myself that a morning trip to the museum, with a leisurely walk through a sculpture garden, is just what we need. We’ll get our fill of being out in the world before it gets really bad outside.

Unfortunately, a 105 degree day has to start somewhere. And that somewhere is nearly 100 degrees by 10am.

Really bad.

But we made it. Baby patiently waited, through energy-stealing heat, for the doors to open and I didn’t pass out from the lack of fresh air. And we made it.

Truth be told, as many who live near DC find, we don’t often enough take advantage of the dozens of free museums, sights, and wonders just a twenty minute drive away. And when the urge strikes to take in the city, sometimes you have to just go with it.

But, I wasn’t foolish enough to try that again and we did stay home-bound for (most of) the rest of the weekend.

And once again, I remembered that we don’t need to go out all the time. Though I love to be amongst the people, we don’t really need them. We don’t need elaborately planned activities, a craft to do every second, or an agenda that plans out our afternoons to the minute.

Sometimes all we need is a box, some blankets, Elmo, and a baby doll. Sometimes, the ingredients for a happy afternoon are delightfully simple.

This is a lesson that I evidently need to learn over, and over, and over again.

Thank goodness I’ve got a good teacher.