Discover Unknown Magic
They call Nantucket the gray lady. No matter the season, a dense fog can envelop the island in moments. As if the island is in a snow globe, it’s given a shake and shrouded in a dense mist. The island is especially grey in the winter. A small community of 14,000 are willing to live through the clouds year-round. But when the summer sun comes, warming the beaches and cobblestones, the population swells to over 70,000. Leaving the island quiet, hibernating in a dull landscape for most of the year.
My soul is buried in the sand of the beaches, foaming waves crashing against the shores and merciless wind blowing across the moors. Few people take advantage of the magic of Nantucket in the off-season. They only see the magnificence in the dog days.
Sparkling in the Wind
When it comes time to trade beach blankets for ski hats, the island hushes. The summer chaos dissipates, and the year-rounders hunker down for the frost to come. However, it is worth exploring the island in the cold and stillness.
The winter sun still makes the wild waves glitter against the soft beaches. The wind may howl, causing the dormant beach grass to dance, but the sight of the icy blue water and empty coast induces a sense of peace and renewal. The environment allows you to take a deep breath, relax your shoulders, and exhale, which is more challenging in today’s world filled with endless stress and stimulation. The island may not be the thrilling playground it is in the summer, but it provides something different in the winter: a chance to reflect, relax, and renew.
Trading Summer Linens for Cashmere Layers
August evenings can look like a runway show for the beautiful. Linen and silk reign as people try not to topple over on the cobblestones in wedges looking like baby giraffes. Not much changes in the winter, other than the thread count. People can be found bundled up, hiding under baseball caps, or on busy holiday weekends, traipsing down main street wrapped in Ralph Lauren cashmere or Herno jackets.
The dress code is whatever you feel most yourself in. Whether that’s sweatpants or a Moncler vest, it doesn’t matter, as no one is keeping score.
The shops are filled with decadent items and eager holiday cheer. There are no longer crowds fighting over parking spaces and dinner reservations. It’s as if the island is cloaked in a cold, dreamy hibernation. Resting and recovering before the beaches warm and the ferry carries a new crop of anxious summer seekers ashore. It’s peace I find walking downtown, a hot drink from The Hub, popping in and out of shops that a sense of calm washes over me.
Find New Meaning
These circumstances make me question and reshape my thinking about other parts of my life. If I look at a situation from a different angle, I can find its beauty. Some will never know the glory of the winter isle because they only want it in the summer. Changing perspective is a lesson I attempt to abide by consistently in my life.
If I shift my focus and be still, I can see the alchemy in the grey.
