Winter Walks and Cozy Podcast Recommendations

Come meander and have a listen.

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Greetings, readers. It’s February, which is one of the harshest parts of winter where I live. However, it’s also my favorite time of year for walking outdoors.

I know, I know — most of you probably think I’m insane. By now, people are clamoring for sunny skies, groaning at snow forecasts, and pawing at the locked gates of their local garden centers. So many of us are ready for that pesky groundhog to bring us warmer temps and springtime vibes.

But, not me.

I get it, though. I get those people who are longing for the dreaded winter to be over. In fact, Former Me used to be one of them.

My weird little love of winter

Former Me used to hate winter. I would dread the season every single year. The holiday season would be over, the Christmas tree and its twinkly lights would come down in mid-January, and I’d plunge into a deep winter depression until about mid-April, when flowers would start to bloom and the days would truly lengthen again.

But, I live in New Jersey — I have always lived in New Jersey — and cold, harsh winters are part of the deal. About 15 years go — before the Instagram world glommed on to the “all things cozy” trend — I stumbled across the Danish concept of hygge.

Hygge changed everything for me. The idea of embracing the dark and the cold, and the concept of finding ways to enjoy it rather than deny it, spoke to me in a way that nothing else had before.

So, I embraced hygge whole-heartedly one winter. I really leaned into it with my candles and my blankets and my cozy socks and the food and the nature and all that good hygge shit.

AND IT WORKED.

In a short amount of time, I had moved from dreading winter to appreciating it, then from appreciating it to loving it.

Today, I can honestly say that winter is my favorite time of the year. I get excited as each night grows a little longer in October and November, and I’m usually quite put out on Winter Solstice that we’re “returning to the light.”

Consequently, December, January, and February, with their hours of darkness, their grey and moody skies, and the promises of daily snow flurries and weekly snowstorms, are the months I look forward to the most each year.

Yes, I’ve seriously contemplated moving to Scandinavia. I don’t have to guts for a cross-world move. Not now, anyway. Maybe one day. For now, I content myself with the scrolling through the aforementioned cozy Instagram cozy in Nordic countries, and by following Cecilia and Grim on Svalbard island.

Where and why I walk (even in winter)

I’ve always loved walking, but it’s become more of a ritual than a pastime over the past few years. I’ve joked for years that I’m like a dog; I need to be walked at least once a day, or I’m very unhappy. When I worked in New York City, my only place to walk would be the crowded city sidewalks or a bustling park near my 46th-floor office. The area had its charms (and killer views), but it wasn’t what my soul wanted.

Furthermore, my hellish commuting schedule made walking near my NJ home pretty impossible since I wouldn’t get home at a reasonable hour. There are bears where I live, so there’s no walking before dawn or after sunset for this gal.

Remote work during COVID changed everything for me (again). I started walking up and down my quiet cul-de-sac street every day during quarantine, then gradually upped it to around the neighborhood. Walking where I live started as a way to take a mental break, and now it’s because a way of life for me. I try to get out and walk every day, even if it’s just 20 minutes.

One of the ways I savor the winter months is by being outside as much as I can, taking my daily walks. My favorite time of day to walk is what I call “Silver Hour” — that hour just before sunset, when everything has a dreamy silvery-grey haze over it. Lights on porches and inside houses are just flickering on, woodsmoke floats heavy through the air, and everything is very still, despite the fact that the world is still turning around you because it’s only about 4pm. A hush just seems to fall over everything, and therefore over me. It fills me with peace, with contentment, and with a wealth of strength and health that keeps me energized and positive.

What do I wear for winter walking?

Several friends have started embracing winter walks since I started droning on about them over the past few years. The biggest thing you need to know about winter walking? YOUR OUFIT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

Not, not because of fashion. (Though, if you can pull being stylish off at the same time, more points to you.) Because if you’re not dressed properly for the weather, you’re not going to enjoy it.

When I first started my long winter walks, I had a hard time finding the right outfit that would allow me to keep warm but not overheat. I started with leggings, a sweater, my poofy downcoat that comes below my knees, and my knee-high Hunter boots with fleece socks.

This outfit did NOT work. After 30 minutes, I’d be sweating and shucking off my coat, but my toes would be freezing. (Pro tip: Hunter Boots are great in the rain but awful in cold weather. Rubber for warmth is not your friend.)

It took several trial-and-error walking sessions for me to find the right winter walking ensemble: fleece-lined leggings from Old Navy; a long-sleeve thick shirt; a wool sweater; and a thick puffy vest (with pockets) that zips up to my chin. Thick black cotton socks and my Amazon “duck boots” go on my feet. I pull on fingerless gloves and a knit hat that’s lined with fleece around my ears. Et voila.

Say it with me: layers.

This layered get-up has been my tried-and-true winter walking outfit for about five years. When the temps dip below 30F degrees, I’ll add a cloth face mask, a la quarantine style, to protect my lips and nose from getting too cold.

While I walk: cozy podcast recommendations

Let’s talk about what I do on my walks. Because I’m not that person who can peacefully walk in personal silence with just the sounds of nature to keep her occupied.

My head is always on a swivel, checking out this tree or that bird, or what decorations are new on this house or that one. I also greet a lot of local dogs and cats. It’s a pretty casual meander as I enjoy as much of my quiet, natural surroundings as possible. I live in a wooded area, so I pretty much go forest-bathing every day.

However, my mind is constantly going. To prevent my intrusive thoughts getting the better of me, I usually listen to a podcast while I walk. Here’s a list of podcasts that I love that can keep you company on your walks.

1. The Kettle with Meagan Francis

I started listening to The Kettle in 2023, when it debuted as The Tea’s Made. Meagan has a lovely podcast devoted to all things cozy and comforting, to living purposefully and slowly, to enjoying every day life, and, yes, to drinking lots of tea and other delicious warm beverages. If you’re into any of these things, check out her bi-monthly episodes, as well as her past catalog of weekly episodes. I guarantee you’ll be looking forward to each new podcast.

2. As the Season Turns with

   Lia Leendertz
   .

This podcast speaks to the primal, Celtic nature-goddess-woman in me. Lia Leendertz has the most beautiful speaking voice, and she gifts us with it on the first day of every month of As the Season Turns. Lia gives you ideas of how to embrace the month we’re entering, whether it’s with info on what seasonal fruits and veggies are available for harvest, what the stars and constellations are doing, or what plants, flowers, and fungi you should look for in nature. You’ll also learn origin stories for the names of the month, folklore and mythology associated with each month, and rituals and events you can embrace to fully celebrate the season.

3. Quiet Matters: Slow Living for Real Life

I debated including the Quiet Matters podcast on this list because, well, it’s only two short seasons. But, I love it so much that I have to share it with you. This is the first podcast I listened to about “slow living,” and I was hooked from the first episode. Host Jo Dymock gives relatable and practical advice about how to slow your life down — even when you’re very, very busy — and enjoy each present moment more fully. If you’re wondering how to minimize and declutter your life, to engage in gentle and slow productivity, to better manage your business while tending to your mental health, to even something as simple as how to eat more mindfully — this is your starting point. Listen, enjoy, and if you can find Jo Dymock on the Interwebs, please beg her for a season 3 (and more!) on my behalf.

4. Nothing Much Happens: Bedtime Stories to Help You Sleep and Stories from the Village of Nothing Much

These two podcasts are grouped together because they’re the “night” and “day” versions of each other.

I discovered Nothing Much Happens first, in an attempt to help with my insomnia. While I don’t have trouble falling asleep, I have trouble staying asleep. Host Kathryn Nicolai writes and reads the coziest, most wonderful little vignettes (very short stories) for grown-ups about things like enjoying a mug of freshly brewed coffee, taking adorable dogs for a walk, savoring the sound and smell of rain while sitting on a covered front porch, or unwinding in a winter yoga class. I hate being read to, but Kathryn’s soothing, somnolent voice can read me to sleep anytime — and she usually does. My husband and I love falling asleep to her stories, so much so that we’ve signed up for her Premium account so we get all the extra stories that involves. And, yes, the stories absolutely put me to sleep in about 5-10 minutes — in the best way possible.

However, these stories are good, and I get annoyed that I never hear them all the way through. Apparently, I’m not the only one who felt this way because Kathryn started a sister podcast called Stories from the Village of Nothing Much. These vignettes are the same as the “bedtime stories,” but they aren’t meant to put you to sleep. Kathryn reads the stories in a livelier tone, and there are mild background noises to keep your attention. If you want a cozy, calm place to relax your mind while you walk, listen to Stories from the Village of Nothing Much.

That’s all, friends! Thanks for reading this (rather long but hopefully interesting) post. See you next time!