By Alexandra Holyk

This past week is the first in 2021 where I’ve gone outside every day.

Whether I’ve gone on a walk around the neighbourhood, a trip to pick up takeout, or just left the confines of my parents’ basement and my entire family — which by the way, five out of six family members including myself work and learn from home at the moment — I’ve taken the time to enjoy the great outdoors during my favourite season of the year, a fool’s spring.

Several blogs, newscasts and Reddit threads call the warm-up after winter a “fool’s spring,” because, despite the double-digit temperatures and the UV index getting up to a solid four, everyone knows what’s coming, but no one wants it to come (I’m talking about the snow in May, by the way).

I understand a fool’s spring to be a metaphor for optimism and looking at the bright side of situations even if they don’t necessarily turn out as you would’ve hoped. I go outside and see the sun shining, children laughing and dogs barking, and I think to myself that even though we’re a year into the pandemic, everything will work itself out.

The vaccine rollout is slow, variants are mutating everywhere and reports say we are currently in the third wave of COVID-19. But like a fool’s spring, we are hopeful life will soon return to normal. Hang in there — the restrictions may be hard but they’re in place to keep the most vulnerable safe.

I do want to mention that I’ve been spending this past week and weeks alone or with my family. As I’m sure many of us can relate, I haven’t seen my friends in-person in months and it’s definitely been difficult. Plans for patio dates are on the horizon, but the question is when will that horizon be at my reach.

Instead of spending my time indoors watching true crime shows, I decided to take myself out on my own patio date. But instead of a patio, it was a picnic blanket on a cool patch of grass in my backyard. I traded in the fancy and over-priced beverages for a jar of water and sat in the sun. As cheesy as it may sound, I did watch the clouds roll by, and I was able to stop all the work I was doing and just enjoy the warm weather (I even wore a skirt because I am so excited for the sun).

I find this time outdoors to be so crucial — seeing everything resurrect and come back to life after the dead of the winter is a sign of hope — not only for the return of warm weather, but for the return of normal life.

Take yourself on a solo patio date — whatever that may be to you — this fool’s spring. Your future self will thank you for it.