As soon as it snows, I think sand. I haven’t always had such gritty thoughts, but the fetish easily buried itself in my mental makings the first time I fished Belize in the winter.

I kicked off my snow boots with reckless abandon and ran barefoot on the beach chasing bonefish. Fishing without freezing is a delight and I took to Belize winters well. I stopped shivering, I stopped layering and most of all, I stopped whining. Seven days of warm in the middle of seven months of cold is all I need to make it through an Idaho winter.

As that last drop of holiday cheer passes your lips and washes down that last piece of pie or Christmas candy at midnight on Jan. 1, 2016, you might be among the many who vow to make the new year a better one by resolving to improve various aspects of your life.

Maybe you’ll try to quit smoking, or drop that holiday weight. Perhaps you’ll resolve to read more, watch less TV or spend more precious time with family. All good goals, to be sure.