Cheap Thrills: Puddle Jumping in the Rain

As winter cycles inexorably closer, pulling the day shut at an earlier hour and chilling the air, get your warmest duds on, find your umbrella, and go outside to enjoy the pure pleasure of puddle jumping during the season’s very first real rains.

On a dark afternoon, the sky sooty with storm clouds, the air blustery, and the rain lashing against the windows, grab your kid — or make it a solo adventure — and gear up for your outing. Tug on your rain boots, wind a cozy scarf around your neck, and drape yourself in your finest Gortex. No need to travel far, just head outside and face into the storm, relishing the rain rather than hiding from it. Peek out from beneath your umbrella and look upward, letting the fat droplets hit your face and roll down your cheeks. Take a deep gulp of the frosty, fresh air as it swirls around you, inhaling its heavy freshness and cool, damp musk.

Take your kid’s hand in yours and watch the unbridled delight which animates their whole body, loosening their limbs and freeing up some essential impulse. Skip across the pavement together, locating the shallow declivities — now brimming with water — and slam your feet down hard in the middle of each one, causing water to shoot, spray, and splash messily outward. Zigzag haphazardly from puddle to puddle, allowing the spirit of adventure to pick your path.

Then, after water has begun to seep inside your boots and the front of your jeans are plastered to your thighs, head back home. The satisfaction of deep, full fun will stave off the chill until you get back inside and peel off your sodden clothing. Put the pot on to boil, make a couple of mugs of hot cocoa, and cozy up on the couch together. Soon, snug and close, the warmth of intimacy will kindle conversation and, sipping slowly from your mugs, the two of you can plan your next puddle jumping adventure on a rainy day.