صباح النور وول ياسمين – Sabah elnour wal yasmeen. (Morning of light and jasmine in Arabic)
Welcome to the first day of Spring. Weather forecast in the North Bay is no chance of rain, clear blue skies and lots of sun. This season is the start of continually longer days and shorter nights, warming temperatures, baring of the knees and shoulder on beautiful humans as little puffs of Jasmine flows by.
Today is the first day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere which both, I believe are beautiful and romantic, but it’s also spring equinox! Spring Equinox is when the Sun and the tilt of Earth’s axis is aligned so the length of night and day are equal. Therefore, days after today will be longer with so many things to look forward to!
I’m writing about spring because there’s just something about it…it makes me feel so alive. I mean it awakens all sorts of things besides myself. Spring time welcome worms to the surface of the earth, butterflies to fly from flower to flower, birds to sing a pretty melody, and that cooling spring breeze!
Whenever Spring starts I become very happily nostalgic over moments from the past, but past things that I can easily recreate in real time. Let’s see…
1. Dancing
As soon as I realize Bachata songs are my preferred music in the morning, I know it’s time to dance. It was during Spring time, I drove down to LA for a Salsa Conference with a group of university students and we literally danced wherever we can plant two feet on the ground with or without music. With the thought of exams and essays due soon, we left them and danced all weekend.
2. Traditions and Culture
People are out, doing more things and creating culture! There was one special time when I had a chance to celebrate Easter in a traditional Czech way in a small village near Brno. The cherry blossoms were blooming and the birds were chirping in the midst of the trees, then all of a sudden I am lightly whipped with a braided tree branch on my bottom. In traditional Czech customs and practices, boys and men of all ages pour water over girls and women and lightly whip them with a braided tree branch called “pomlázka” (the first tree to awake in spring). The Foreigner’s Guide to Living in Slovakia says that the fertility and vitality of the branch will be passed on to the women, so meaning more love and babies!
3. Freedom and Play
With the weather being not too hot and not too cold, it allows us to come out of winter (or cool down from Summer) and enjoy the mellow haze. When i was a child, once Spring is upon me, I looked forward to recess where I can play and run around except now, I have a bigger playground which is currently the Bay Area and I have more options to what I want do and who I want to do it with! “Knock, Knock, does Jessica want to come outside and play with me?”
So grab a friend, grab a beer, go to a park and dance! Spring is here everyone and it’s time to play!
Cheers,
Dandelion Traveler
dandeliontraveler 