Snow Day

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