Winter--my 4th favorite season

Each year I dread the first day of winter-- I have never been a big fan of the cold. I attribute it to being born where the weather was pretty much sunny and 74 degrees. Just like in the move LA Story, Santa Monica’s weather is sunny and breezy, the winters very mild. I seriously don’t remember having a large winter coat—a lined windbreaker was able to ward off the cold.

When we moved to Las Vegas, we experienced hot and dry climate. We would replace our windshield wipers because they were so sun damaged that they would rot off! When winter came, it arrived with no warning. Around October, one day the weather was normal and the next day—WHAM! A cold snap hit the valley, dropping at least 20 degrees! A few Januarys ago, when I was a Junior at UNLV in January, classes literally stopped when it started to snow.  Granted, it only lasted a few hours and probably the technical term is a dusting, but it was the most amount of snow we had ever seen!

Now living in Idaho makes me realize that I wasn't really prepared for what was in store for winter. My first year in Boise when it snowed I just stared at it in complete shock. Driving in it was sometimes adventurous—a couple of times I made a wrong turn to either end up in an icy skid or snowy embankment (thankfully  a good Samaritan pushed my car out!)  When I would go outside in the stone cold with the single digit degrees,  I would hum the second part of the song from A Year without a Santa Claus, trying to summons warmth with mind over matter.

My hatred of winter began to thaw one wintry day. I parked my car on a side street and all of a sudden I noticed something. I could not hear the traffic, though the main street was only a block away. The snow had muffled the noise, creating a snowy sanctuary. I took a look around—the streets had a layer of snow that sparkled and glimmered in the morning light. The tree branches were also coated in this shimmering substance. For the first time, I appreciated the beauty of winter.

I began to realize that the reason I hated winter was due to the fact that I was worrying about the one thing I couldn't control—namely the weather. Instead of fighting the elements, I needed to learn how to adapt to them—drive slower on the icy roads, dress in layers and keep my extremities warm. Little by little, I started to notice that winter wasn't so dreadful. In fact, I can safely say it is my 4^th favorite season.