Hi.
Happy New Year! I have to admit, that this year, my plans for new year's eve were made pretty much the day before (as in Friday). The original plan consisted of me knowing that I would not be attending the local south Indian community's party with my parents, and that I would be spending it with one of my friends. So during a car ride, my mother suggested we go into downtown for the First Night festivities. Now, this was my third time attending this event: first with my family, second with just my mother, and third with people my age. And each time I've been there, I've experienced a different side of it. Happily, I enjoyed the childish side of the event this time, coming back with a ring and bracelet made using UV light changing beads, a mask I decorated, the remains of a bag of kettle corn, and memories of immature, childish behavior ^_^.
Now, originally, I had planned to post on the 31st, but then my last minute plans for the day meant I had no time to write anything. And then, I planned on posting something on the 1st, but recovering from the previous night (mostly from the lack of sleep) took up most of my time. There's not much writing to be done when one's asleep. So when I woke up today, and saw the snow falling outside, I remembered the one day in December that it actually snowed. Which of course triggered the avalanche of ideas in my mind, of how much I love the fluffy goodness called snow.
Now I have never thought that winter was my favorite season of the year or anything. In fact it's probably my least favorite, right next to spring. But there is something about snow that is just plain awesome.
Growing up in northeast America, I've always had snow in my life. Whether it was my failed attempts at sledding down the 2 feet of snow in the front yard (it's a hill really), or building a snow man to proudly stand by as my mother took a picture. And nothing beats the pleasure of just rolling around or stomping in the snow. I still play around in the snow to this day. The last two years, there have been huge snow storms that passed through. And of course my roommates and I went to town in the 3-5 feet layers of snow everywhere. I think we spent a good 3 hours just frolicking around and making snow angels. We even buried my roommate in the snow and built her a beautifully curvaceous figure (kind of like what people do with sand at the beach ^_^). And of course there's always the idea that a lot of snow means no school. And no school means no work. So growing up, snow has always been a magical thing. And now, snow also means snowboarding. And boy, is snowboarding fun!
Now, this may seem a bit weird, but I even love shoveling the snow out of our driveway and sidewalks in the winter. There is something about being outside in the silence (no matter where you go, when it snows a lot, it's always quiet), with just the sound of shoveling to keep you company. But then again maybe it's the fact that I get to build large mounds of snow to play around in. Or even coming back inside to drink the gourmet hot chocolate I love to make. I'm serious, the best time to drink hot cocoa is when there's snow outside, not just cold weather. There is something about a thick blanket of fresh snow outside to make you feel like bundling up in front of a warm fire and keeping your insides warm with some hot liquid chocolate.
Although this is what you do during the winter, my appreciation for the snow is not extended to the winter due to practicality and aesthetics.
On the side of practicality, severe snows make it impossible to go anywhere. My home is on a steep hill, so the maneuverability on the roads is atrocious. And whenever you see that poor car desperately flooring the gas pedal in the hopes that the lack of friction from the rotating tires may be overcome, to allow them to continue on their journey. And to add on to a continued difficulty, all the melted snow turns into mixtures of water, ice and pseudo snow, making for dangerous driving conditions and a very wet type of winter. Another thing about the weather in winter that ruins the snow is the fact that, despite large amounts of snow, the nighttime freezing temperatures will either freeze the top layer of snow (destroying the soft quality) and turning any snow, melted in the daytime sun, into nearly invisible patches of ice. Aside from snow shoes with metal spikes, there is no foot wear that can mitigate the chance of you falling on your ass with a loud thump over an overlooked patch of ice. So with the scarves and hats and hoods that impede your vision, you are also stuck watching the ground instead of the area around you, leading to many a blunder for pedestrians.
So when considering all the ice that forms overnight, cities and municipalities decide that the streets must be salted before a large snow fall or in reaction to one. Along with that, businesses and neighborhoods decide they must salt the sidewalks. But of course large amounts of salt are used, turning all walkways and roads into crusted white (or even blue) nastiness. Ok, maybe I exaggerated just a bit, but this addresses how in reaction to winter weather, the serenity of the snow is destroyed. Now add in the dirt that gets mixed into the snow, turning the continuous white into a charred landscape. And what could have been a picturesque snow covered scene is now a blackened, disruptive landfill. So actually that last one was most definitely an exaggeration ^_^.
I guess much of this is based on what I enjoy when it comes to snow. My favorite days are when you have just had a large snowfall, and anything cleared has been shoveled, but there has been a light dusting of snow afterwards. The trees are coated with a layer of frosting, sparkling in the sunlight, the sky a pale blue with a rare brush of white. There may be a light breeze, negated by the sunlight on your face, warming you despite the layers of jackets, mittens, hat, and scarf, and your boots make a slight crunch as you step over the snow. There is no color but white, and the tiny icicles shed flickers of rainbows as they catch the light. There is no sound. All are bundled in hibernation, aside from the occasional car or fellow walker. The roads are still covered in a packed layer of snow, making the entire world white before your eyes.
Can't you picture it? To me, regardless of how much snow is there, that picture of white is beautiful to me. Sure I may take the occasional scamper through the untouched snow, but really, I like it when it remains untouched. I'm always excited to get bundled up and head outside first to see what has not yet been disturbed. And maybe that's just because I have a legit collection of outerwear that's fashionable and perfect for that sort of stroll. I love looking outside my window to find the cars topped in a thick coat of snow. Near my home, it's quite a view to see the hills from afar, the naked forests sparkling in white. Frankly, I don't even mind seeing the icicles from the melted snow on the rooftops or the hard crusting over the top layer of snow these days. Why? Because that means that the undisturbed snow has remained that way for a long time, it has remained untouched.
So when I look outside, and see the lack of snow even now at the start of January, I feel extremely sad. This means that the winter will just be colder, that the snowfall will decrease and the ice will take over. It means that the beautiful white expanses will slowly fade into the barren trees and grass with naught but hard crusted ice over it. I have always hoped that I will end up some place that gets cold enough for there to be snow. Just two years ago, I remember the huge storm that blew in at the start of December! But with all the global climate change, I know the chances of living some place where there is at least a bit of snow will become slimmer as each year passes.
But for now, I'll keep wishing for more than just light flurries that barely cover the ground. I'll be waiting for the time to bring out the shovels to clear the driveway - waiting for the next overnight surprise of white fluffy goodness.
Here's a toast to the snow that keeps you with those you love, my roommate's favorite winter song by one of my favorite singers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-70qMhLfjLI
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