I don’t know about you, but I have never been a huge fan of
the snow. I live in Chicago and have to deal with it for about four months of
the year, so I am definitely used to it. But that does not mean that I like it. Every year all of my friends get super
excited for the first snowfall, and, not wanting to look like the Grinch, I go
along with it. Sometimes I think I am even able to convince myself that I am
looking forward to it. I think,
“well, it feels like winter, I guess it better look like winter, too.” And then, as soon as those icy flakes
start to fall, I remember why it is that I don’t like the snow: it’s cold, it’s
wet, and it limits my shoe selection.
Again, I know that makes me sound like a curmudgeon, but snow is only
nice from inside. It’s lovely to
sit in your living room with a fire roaring in the fireplace, sipping hot tea,
but it’s not so nice trekking from your car to the school and having wet feet
for the first 4 hours of the day.
This year, however, was different. I have a newfound love of the snow. And I’ll bet you can guess why. That’s right, snow day! The last time
that I had a snow day was in second grade, and I still remember it as one of
the most magical days of my life.
I don’t go to one of those schools that dish out snow days like turkey
on Thanksgiving. No siree, my
school has not canceled class due to the snow since 1967 (some argue that they
canceled in the 80s for a snow day, but it was actually because the boiler
broke). So this was a truly
historic event. All day on Tuesday
my friends and classmates kept saying, “I really think there’s going to be a
snow day this time.” But I
remained skeptical. I didn’t want
to get my hopes up, only to be crushed with disappointment. But, to my surprise, I was wrong. The school called a snow day, and I was
like a little kid who’d just been set free in Toys R Us with a credit
card. I called my brother, to brag
of course, and he was outraged.
“WHAT? YOU HAVE A SNOW DAY? THIS IS RIDICULOUS! WHAT HAS THE SCHOOL
BECOME?” If you can’t tell, he was
jealous. After doing a quick victory dance in my kitchen, I packed up my
belongings and went to stay at a friend’s house.
The best surprise came the next night. I was about to start my homework, when
I received four text messages at the same time informing me that school would
be canceled for the second day in a row.
“Is this real life? How could it be?” My victory dance was a little bit longer that time. I felt like I’d just won the
lottery. I called Jake again, and
he could barely even speak to me.
I think it’s the most upset he’s been in a while.
So, you might ask, what did I do on my snow days? Did I go
sledding? Did I have an epic snowball fight? Did I bust out the cross-country
skis that I don’t own? The answer to all of your questions is: No. I did absolutely nothing, and it was
wonderful. Sure, I hung out with
friends, and I baked, and I watched movies with my mom. But this snow day was different from
the magical adventure in second grade.
I did not make snow angels or bust out my snowsuit. I did not carve out tunnels or try to
build igloos. Nope. I roamed around my house, drank my weight
in green tea, and enjoyed the feeling of having absolutely nothing that I had
to do. It was a beautiful
thing.
Now, the snow often calls for heavy gear: hats, gloves,
mittens, scarves, the works. And
when you are out and about, you need a place to store the goods, because we all
know your pockets aren’t that big.
So you’ll need a bag big enough to fit all of your regular necessities,
plus your snow gear. And nothing
is better for the job than a stylish tote bag.
-Emma
