ONU Blog: My Relationship With Snow

Go Bears!

Ah snow. The white flaky stuff that falls from the sky and plagues Ohio for what seems like an eternity every year. Just when we think it is gone the world decides to drop I mean "storm of the century" on our state with no hesitation. But despite all this winter is still my favorite season by far and there are a few reasons for it. 

Firstly, I am a cold weather person. Summer is fun and all with water activities and the lack of layers needed to be outside, but winter makes me feel more energized oddly. Cold is refreshing to me, it's easier to breathe and makes me want to be active to keep my body temperature up. Plus with winter clothes I can layer depending on where I am going and for how long I'll be outside. In summer the options are usually shorts, t-shirt, hat occasionally and not much else because heat is unavoidable. But with cold you can choose how cold you want to be. Besides, it's fun to see my breath when it's cool out.

Another reason I like cold and snow is the ambiance and environment it creates when it snows. Everything is so colorful throughout the year creating patchworks of greens and browns, blues and yellows. But when it snows, especially heavy snow, the world becomes a primarily-monochromatic wonderland of white. Everything gets a shell of snow. Big buildings get new highlights on their rooftops and thin structures like trees become thick again with a false canopy of white. Not to mention the icicles formed when snow melts and refreezes. It is nature's decoration of everything it touches. Ice spikes on what normally is not sharp adds new definition to the surrounding area. On top of looks, snow also makes everything quiet around it. Snow is a good insulator for both heat and sound, that is why when it snows heavily the area around you becomes quieter. I can simply step outside and clear my thoughts because the world around me is clear of distracting noises.

And finally, I like snow because I have a lot of fond memories in the snow and winter season. From spending hours outside with my family doing yardwork, sledding with my whole boy scout troop, camping in a self-made shelter and having my first kiss in a snowstorm, snow has been a big theme in moments of my life. It reminds me of good times and the loving people who made those good times possible. I have my fair share of not-so-good memories in the snow like getting my car stuck a bajillion times on ice or my childhood home burning down in a snowstorm, but those are few and far between. Overall, the cold of snow brings warm memoires to me even in the hardest times.

As I am writing this, it is snowing heavily outside. It makes me very happy to see it is that time of year again. Honestly if I didn't have self control I could watch it for hours without a care in the world. Even though it isn't quite sticking to the ground yet, I know the scenes I described above will soon come into view. So let it snow, let it snow, baby let it snow.

Also, here is my Christmas music playlist because I feel like sharing it.