As the holiday season came to a close, I pushed back from my dinner and reflected on Porsche-related activities I attended or was involved in over the past 12 months, and finally considered the celebration of events that traditionally close out the year.

My wife and I have more than our fair share of dinners and parties to attend. Frankly, the commotion has been a bit overwhelming. And I can't remember a single weekend in 2015 that did not include an organized gathering of car enthusiasts.

I relinquished my aging Cayman over the summer, and acquired a 2016 Macan S. We also sold our house and are living out of boxes in temporary quarters until our new residence is completed. This has been both a busy and a rewarding year.

But while the frenzy of activity, the hustle at the malls and the frantic dash for last-minute gifts gave me heart palpitations, I was preparing myself for what I knew would immediately follow.

Automotive diehards living in climates well north of the equator know exactly what I'm talking about. On New Year's Day, I woke up at the crack of noon, opened my calendar and searched for the next car-related event. And there was nothing on the horizon — nothing at all.

There's something about a cold January that simply shuts things down around here. Even indoor activities draw few attendees. People are not interested in going out into the cold, and they certainly don't want to risk their investments to frozen streets and parking lots.

I'm active with the Riesentöter region of the Porsche Club of America, so I'll have arrangements to make for the 2016 season, but most of this involves a computer, a telephone and assorted other things sitting on a makeshift desk in my all-too-quiet apartment.

Most of my friends have either put their garage queens in dry dock, or have otherwise parted for warmer pastures until the frost and snow thaws out. No more destination drive-and-dines, no more track and autocross events, no more organized runs through the countryside.

Maybe I'll watch for the thermostat to rise high enough to venture out and wash my car without icicles forming from the runoff. But it's more likely that my friend Google and I will be painfully searching for things to do when the weather makes its inevitable turn, and my PCA family comes out of hibernation.

Consequently, being "home for the holidays" has a completely different perspective when looking through the long lens of winter. The rotten weather at least provides an opportunity to catch up on things, watch a little football and maybe cross some movies off the list.

It's funny, the end of the driving season reminds me a little of the conclusion of grade school — when the last bell rang and the doors released us to the freedom of summer. No more homework, no science projects, no studying or cafeteria food.

But not too long after Independence Day, I began to dread those humid August days, when a 95-degree afternoon took for-ev-er. I missed my friends and reminisced of the fun we'd had during the school year.

We haven't even had our first snow — in fact it's recently been in the 50s. And yet already I look forward to cracking open the detail kit and layering protective preservatives on our new Macan. I can't wait to lead or follow a long line of friends to a destination dinner at a favorite haunt.

So although I'll appreciate the festiveness of the season and take some downtime to catch my breath and maybe get organized, I'm already looking forward to driving adventures in 2016 — which feels like an eternity from now.