It was the pandemic winter of 2021, and I was desperate for an outdoor activity. So when I saw that the North Park Village Nature Center offered snowshoeing once we hit six inches, I was intrigued. I’ve never been bold enough to ski, and the last time I tried ice skating, things didn’t go so well. But strapping what looked like tennis rackets onto my boots and walking through snow? I could do that. 

The snowshoes almost doubled the impressions my boots would’ve left behind, so there was a fun, playful essence of dress-up: I became an animal, something to be tracked later by someone else. Messing up that perfect snowy scene made me feel bold and mischievous. 

Since then, I have stalked the weather and waited for the exact moment the snowfall ends. Then I’ll head out to an untouched winter wonderland to take a serene walk through a forest of trees dusted with powdery flakes. It invigorates me during the gloomy days, and it combines two of my other interests: birdwatching and hiking. Though the darkest times of the pandemic are over, a walk through a snowy field still rejuvenates my soul. There’s nothing like being the first to leave a mark.