January. I can't think of too many people who look forward to the month. Even fewer who say it's their favorite time of year.

Those that do like it are probably snowmobilers, skiers and ice skaters and, well, they can't be enjoying this snowless winter.

January is a let down. The rush of the holidays are over. No more family get-togethers or parties. It's January. Bland, gray, unexciting January.

Many news shows and Web sites acknowledge the "post-holiday blues." Feeling tired and lonely after the holidays is common for many. For some, those down feelings appear every winter.

This is the first "normal" January I've had in awhile. The last four I've had a break from school or what the University of St. Thomas calls J-term. Sometimes it felt like my life was on pause for those four weeks.

One year I took a class, but it took place in Spain. I didn't mind that at all.

Freshman year at St. Thomas, I came back home to Owatonna to work. The only job I managed to scrape up was as a bagger at HyVee. I worked mornings on weekdays, so it was pretty dull for most of my shift.

The worst part was pushing carts. Sometimes it can be difficult to push your cart through the store if one of the wheels doesn't work.

Imagine pushing a dozen or more at once.

Then plowing them through the ice and snow.

Working drive-up required me to use spatial relation skills I had only studied about in math class. Some people's trucks were already full of bags, tires, jumper cables, blankets, clothing and snow shovels.

Fitting two cart loads of groceries seemed an impossible feat.

I may have squished a few loaves of bread or cracked a couple of eggs getting grocery bags to fit, but, hey, I wasn't a miracle worker.

My measly four- or six-hour shifts at the store seemed to last for days.

Not only did I have a boring job, but I was away from my new friends at college. My high school friends didn't have J-term and went back to school the second week of the month.

The post-holiday blues were definitely a part of that January.

The next year I decided to stay at school over J-term. I had requested to work full time at the university library where I had worked part-time first semester. But I found out during finals week I would be getting, at the most, 16 hours a week.

I felt guilty about having all of that free time for about a day, then decided it wouldn't be so bad.

(I haven't had that sort of free time since.)

I worked at 8 a.m. and went home at noon. I really didn't do much during the day. I didn't have a car and the cold kept me from walking any sort of distance.

Instead I read (for fun!), watched television and took naps.

Some afternoons I played hockey on an outdoor rink with friends. I got pushed into the boards, and hit in the knee with the hockey puck a few times, but overall I had fun.

So January doesn't have to be so gloomy. The more I think about it, January is a big sigh of relief. For once my weekends are not booked with trips or visitors.

Now it feels like I have more time to spend with friends and family without having to worry about the holidays or shopping.

And, really, as long as the month seems, it goes faster than you expect.

Soon enough we'll have to start worrying about Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter … .

Cari Quam can be reached at 434-2235 or by e-mail at :mailto:cari.quam@austindailyherald.com