Last week, I dropped a line about the time change and staying active come this colder and darker time of year. 

And I asked: 

• How do you embrace the shift in time and sunlight with the end of daylight savings?

• What in the past has made the end of daylight savings more manageable for you? 

• How do you motivate yourself to get out and embrace the fresh, cool air when it shifts from fall into winter and there is less daylight?

The most powerful response that I got wasn’t in the form of an email or a phone call. 

A friend, who is a subscriber, texted me if I wanted to go see the full moonrise from Iwo Jima, as the moon rose over the National Mall on Tuesday. 

I decided, why not?! I got in my car and drove to Virginia and sat and watched the moonrise. 

As my friend explained her motivation for reaching out as the darkness descended— my newsletter from the day before— it really hit– one of the most clear ways that we can embrace the shift in daylight is:

• Schedule time (or impromptu suggest) to go explore and be in the outdoors with friends, neighbors and family.

• Say yes to the moonlight & stargazing and wonder it evokes

• Wear cold weather appropriate gear (I made sure to bundle up with my favorite heated Hestra Gloves  and my puffy jacket).

Some tips & tricks to getting outdoor in the winter from members of the Circle and Spoke Community

From Maria:

1. Go swimming! It’s an awesome year round sport/exercise. It’s not outdoors but it’s a great winter sport. The pools are heated and many like the ones I swim in in DC have hydro pools which are like big hot tubs for after swim!

2. I like “transit” walking. Walk along city streets to a place to have coffee, lunch, see a movie whatever. It’s great to be outdoors even if not a hike in a park. Somehow walking back and forth from somewhere makes it go faster esp if you go with a friend!

From Natalia:

1. My tip would be to wear sunglasses when you bike on those cold windy days! 😎 You think you don’t need them bc it’s less sunny but it’s blustery out there and stuff gets in your eyes!!

2. Also yoga! Temperance alley garden has free outdoor yoga on Tuesdays at 6pm through November, and if you have a towel or yoga mat or thick blanket you can do yoga anywhere. Often I’ll FaceTime a friend in the evenings and we’ll do yoga together

Wishing you a week of getting outdoors and appreciating the breeze + golden hues of fall!

Wheels up, 

Ellen

PS: Please join me and WABA this Sunday, 11/16 for Ride For Your Life 2025. The ride remembers Sarah Debbink Langenkamp. While I didn’t know Sarah, she was killed by a truck blocks from my childhood home, while biking to pick her kids up from school.

If you aren’t based in the Greater Washington Region, there are a few action alerts you can send to your representative about creating safer streets for pedestrians— specifically demanding Congress pass the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act. Read more here.