The Hit List - The Art of the Hunker Down

It might be the winter. Or the impending holidays. Perhaps it’s the introvert side. Heck, maybe it’s because I want to leave a lighter carbon footprint. Lately, I just want to hunker down. I want to be home, away from the world, whiling away my time baking and reading with zero noise.

Hunkering down is in my blood. Growing up in a rural area meant we shopped once a week. Plus my lineage is farm folks – hearty types who depended on gardens, canning, and hunting. We knew how to sit out a blizzard.

This urge to withdraw from the hubbub of the world doesn’t mean I’m becoming agoraphobic or a Howard Hughes style recluse. It just means I want to leave my home less during the cold months of the year.

The rest of the time? I’m fairly social. I market every day because I am an avid home chef. But now? There are ways to be a badass in the kitchen without having to hit the stores every day.

Anyhow, here’s how I step away from the outer world and honor my introversion:

First things first: I plan my menu. It usually includes baking because winter is the only time of year where I really get my bake on. I go through one of my 200+ cookbooks and pick interesting new things to make or choose a few comfort recipes and make a list. This is my favorite part: dreaming up what I’m going to make.
Do your big shop. Get everything you need. Pick up wine too. Wine goes well with winters at home.
Get clear on what you might want to do during your time away from the world. For me, writing is usually on the agenda. Work too. If you have a home-based business as I do, the weather never matters – you work when you work. But you might have other ideas: declutter the home, take a long hot soak in the tub while drinking a hot toddy, read all those books on your shelf, watch old movies, board games with the kiddos, cat grooming sessions. Think about what you like (or need) to do and then create your game plan.
Put the car in the garage. This is especially important if you are expecting inclement weather.
Turn off your phone. Be less accessible. Let folks know you’re going to be busy. (Even if your “busy” means laying on the couch with cats and a blanket.)
Hide away and do your thing.

Hibernating away from all that holiday noise or crazy weather feels so good. If you’re like me, you may find that this doesn’t need to be just a winter thing. I’m finding that this is becoming a regular jam. And you know what? It’s pretty sweet.