I have lived in places with snow (I hesitate to say snowy places) twice before in my life. I spent one academic year in Boston and half an academic year in Aberdeen Scotland. I suppose if you count the one weekend that snow actually stayed on the ground last year, then our year in Germany was another place with snow. I've always liked it but had to wonder if I would still like it if I were trying to "really live" there. For instance, I never drove in any of these three locations. I had no experience driving in snow before this winter.
It turns out I still like snow! I realize that I have a very flexible schedule and just don't have to drive when it is bad. Probably most importantly, since we live in an apartment and townhouse complex, neither Arlo nor I have to shovel any snow. I imagine that could get old quick. But I love how it covers everything and makes it all fresh. I love the crunch under my feet. I love being all cozy inside while the snow is coming down outside. I'm not even minding how cold it is (maybe it is the extra body that I'm carrying that is giving me this feeling). What strikes me most when I look around me is the beauty of a burst of color in the snowy black and white world.
My opinion is still out on ice storms.
Well, I've lived all of my live except one year in NZ and a couple of years in AZ where there was snow.
ReplyDeleteI hate it.
With a passion.
I didn't know I hated it until I left Tucson.
I hate it.
Hate it.
Hate it.
But gosh, sometimes the beauty blows my mind. It confuses me. I want to like it, my heart almost makes me like it. But I can't like it.
I'm sorry.
I suck.
And I don't even shovel.
I could probably be happy where I am if it weren't for the weather. I live in the middle of no where. I mean, seriously, no where. It's a "big town" of 16,000 in the middle of an incredibly rural area. We get snow and ice and rain. It's so rarely just PLEASANT. All summer it rains, all spring it muds and/or flies (oh god, the flies of hellish buzzing and biting), and all autumn it's cold (and truthfully, snowing in October- October is autumn, right?). If it weren't for the hell of snow season (six months out of the year), I could return to enjoying it.
I never hated snow until I moved to Tucson. Now snow is something that makes me spend six months of the year whimpering in a corner.
That being said, that whining being spilled out all over your beautiful journal, hearing that snow is making you happy makes me smile. Yes, I'll admit it, it's a smile that has a bit of an, "Awww, that's such a cute misconception of hers, how sweet!" but it's a smile nonetheless. It's a smile that says, "Oh wow, someone can see joy it that!" It's a smile that makes me happy.
Thank you for posting. It's nice to see that someone who isn't saying, "Hey, take up cross country skiing and ice skating!!!!" can enjoy snow. I love that idea. Someone loves snow *and* isn't telling me to take up an outdoor in the (&#E(& cold sport!
Thank you. I sit here in my negative five degree weather (only 63 degrees in our house), and I say thank you.
THANK YOU.
PS: This comment sounds a little bit sarcastic as I hear it in my head, it's NOT sarcastic! It's happy.
PS2: Um, Ourika is jennyknits. My gmail accounts get confused. Sssshhh... don't tell anyone that I'm Ourika!
ReplyDeleteI grew up in New England. It ain't South Bend, but we did have snow. I loved it: sledding on the hill behind the school on "snow days", ice skating on the Duck Pond downtown. I still liked it in college. Our lovely Massachusetts campus all decked out in white, with icicles hanging from the eaves. My first after-college job was teaching HS math in New Hampshire. Going out at 7 am to clean snow off of the car was not so much fun. Walking in snow was definitely better than drinving in it!
ReplyDeleteNowadays, I get my snow fix every few years when we visit Patty & Mike in Oregon. I really love it, but I don't know that I'd like to live in it any more.