Like many people in Chicago, the only thing that gets me through the seemingly endless, brutal winter is knowing that someday – although we’re never sure exactly when – the temperature will rise above freezing and eventually it will be summer once again.  That’s enough to keep me here, because summer in Chicago is that awesome – street festivals, beer gardens, the beach, biking and running on the lakefront…all of these and more somehow make the six months of winter bearable – or at least survivable. 

And even though I dread and despise the winter, I almost think the cold weather itself is crucial to my survival here too.  There are so many fun things going on during the warmer months, by the time winter rolls around, a small part of me is relieved.  Reuniting with my couch for lazy Saturday afternoons, getting together with friends for cozy game nights, going bowling and seeing movies…while none of these are as exciting as the wealth of activities summer has to offer, they do bring a somewhat welcome change and a chance to slow things down for a bit before the summer fun inevitably begins again.

That said, I’ve always considered these harsh winter months here to be a time of “chibernation” for me.  Even though I’m guessing that the term makes sense to anyone who has experienced a Chicago winter, I decided to check out what expert information Wikipedia has to offer about both hibernation and Chicago to see if it would help me bridge the two for this post:

·         Hibernation is a time of inactivity. Some animals hibernate, usually during the winter, when food is short. They fall into a sleep-like state, regulating their metabolism to consume less energy. They lower their body temperature, slow their breathing, and slow other vital functions. During hibernation, the body uses fat for energy, which the animal has typically gathered in summer and autumn. Typical animals that hibernate are bats, ground squirrels (like marmots), hedgehogs, and marsupials.

·         Chicago has a very well-known culture. Some of the many things Chicago is famous for are: Chicago-style hot dogs, Chicago-style (deep dish) pizza, Maxwell Street Polish Sausage, jazz music, and 1920s gangsters like Al Capone.

Considering three of the five cultural highlights Wikipedia cites for Chicago are food, I suppose chibernation is slightly different than regular hibernation in that there’s certainly not a lack of food around these parts…so basically, it’s just a time of inactivity.  But I still think that about sums it up.

And, finally, to back the credibility of my source, I give you Michael Scott:

Happy chibernating – see you in the summer.