By Nancy Dorrans
What is up with our winter? First Izzy, a Nor’easter blizzard brought high winds and tons of snow to our coast but not near enough to the mountains. My skiing friend in Lincoln, New Hampshire called her a One’easter!
Then Landon landed and dumped snow in the mountains where we wanted it but gave everyone at Portland Public Schools and the surrounding area a bizarre sleet day. The snow was weird, dense, hard to shovel, and not good for skiing!
The next day I had to drive as far as Bridgton to cross the sleet line. But we found amazing cross country skiing conditions at Five Fields Farm on Landon’s snow!
There have been a few “coldest days of the year” followed by temps in the 50’s with tropical winds and pouring rain. Wazzup? What will March bring? The lion, the lamb… or a bear?
According to Naomi Liz of Roaming the Americas blog, “March in Maine can be a bear.” She no longer lives here but remembers March being “…blah, cold, wet, dead, icky, windy, and lasts forever. March and November are consistently voted as the worst months in Maine by Mainers.”
She’s definitely not a skier and now lives and roams around Latin America. I disagree with Naomi.
March is no bear for me!
As a child I remember the soft winds of March and flying kites with my dad and sisters in the field across from our home in northeast Ohio. Now living in Maine, this month is not icky or blah. It doesn’t last long enough. There is only one weekend this month that I don’t have plans to ski, but I’m working on that. I’m still hoping for a few more mountain snowstorms.
After Landon, next on the winter storm list was Miles. Then came Nancy! I don’t recall ever having a storm named after me! After that are Oaklee, Phyllis, Quinlan, Rachel, Silas, and Miss Tad. I’ll welcome them all to my ski season.
If you’re not a skier or outdoor winter enthusiast, well then, I’m hopeful you have some good books, recipes, streaming services, and hobbies to keep you busy during our Maine March!
Maybe you are ready for the release of winter, the release of tension, a release of uncertainty?
If the season has got you down, perhaps you’re suffering from Tripophobia – “The fear of not having any travel trips currently booked.” In this case, you may need to plan a vacation to avoid getting major Tripophobia!
I am ready to get my travel hopes and dreams back on track. I’ve found a cure. I’m no longer suffering from Tripophobia. I’ve got plans!
Travel Dreams Ahead
While I am an international traveler and I am going to be an international traveler again, for the rest of this year at least, my plans are looking a bit different. They will be less global and more local or domestic. There will be no need for a passport. Traveling domestically currently offers the least travel restrictions.
In May I’m heading to Eugene, Oregon for AdventureElevate – an (ATTA) Adventure Travel Trade Association three-day event. “Our travel community convening in Eugene, Oregon will find an offbeat, idealistic intelligence shining brightly, to inform and inspire as we come together to learn and make the connections that shape the future of travel.”
I’m so excited to connect and reconnect with my travel industry colleagues and explore this other side of our county. My best travel friend Roxanne and I will be exploring on our own before and after the conference, heading inland to the Bend area and then out to the coast.
We’re still ironing out the details, but my Tripophobia symptoms have dissipated. We will be scouting out an itinerary for the next Women, Walking and Wine adventure, this fall or in 2023.
In June after school gets out (depending on our snow days) Adventure Marketplace is planning a small group adventure to explore Puerto Rico’s rainforests, beaches, music, food, and local culture. Then towards the end of summer there’s an opportunity to explore Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula and Denali National Park. Details for these two domestic adventures are still in the works. If you would like to learn more, please contact me.
In the meantime, try and enjoy the rest of our winter. Watch Charlie Lopresti or Jim Cantore from the Weather Channel getting worked up and excited about the next winter storm extending the ski season!
Nancy Dorrans is a professional travel expert and founded Adventure Marketplace in 2014.
