This is what I’m missing today. This is a typical scene from Wisconsin (my home state) around this time of year. This season is my 2nd ever to not have a snowy winter. The first was in 2007/08 when I lived in Los Angeles. People that have been around me in the last month know that I have been vocal about missing my snow. At least here in the Bay it’s pretty freakin cold in the am, and I can still justify wearing a beanie along
with a winter jacket most days. That helps. But there is something about a true winter that I am missing dearly. I am a seasons type of girl. I appreciate spring, because winter was long and cold. I appreciate fall because I am sick of wearing tank tops and sweating all day (and obviously because this means it’s hoodie season). But there is this strange love that I have for winter that only a few around me can really understand. If you’ve never lived in a place where it snows, then I can’t really explain it.
There is a magnificent silence when you stand in the woods whe
n it’s covered in snow, that just can’t be replicated. I love cuddling up with a blanket and a hot drink with ridiculous looking snuggly socks, while I feel my eyelashes defrost. The warmth of a fire puts you in a trance as it hypnotizes you while warming up your bones after several hours in the cold. Candles light up the room with a warm glow as your cheeks stay rosy for several hours, acting as a natural blush.
Ice fishing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, skating on a real lake, skiing, etc. These are all activities that people enjoy outside in winter communities. 
No, they do not all just hold their breath until they can make it inside again. Technology has made great outerwear that allows you to be comfortable and enjoy hanging out in near freezing temps. There was an article I read recently (The Norwegian Secret to Enjoying a Long Winter) that discussed why everyone in this Norwegian village loved winter and why they weren’t all “blue, gloomy, and depressed” during their long, hard, winters. Basically, the article talked about how they didn’t view winter as something to endure, but rather something to celebrate. I concur. I will definitely appreciate and celebrate every time I get to participate in a real, snowy, winter from here on out.
It’s funny how you forget the hassles of the snow when you’re away from it. How many times did I dread getting up early, while it’s still dark out, to defrost the car? Many. The worst is when you can’t seem to fin
d any of your 4 windshield scrapers that you know are in your car somewhere. You resort to using a credit card because that’s the only thing you can quickly access that will work. After several times of resorting to this, you realize your credit card no longer works when you swipe it and you constantly have to explain this to the cashier. They sigh and glare at you at having to manually enter all your numbers. Man I miss this routine!
Somehow none of this seems important or bothersome anymore, I just want to have to deal with it! As I travel home to WI in a few days, I am crossing my fingers for a white Christmas. So far, the temperatures have been too warm to keep the snow on the ground. Opposite is true of Salt Lake Cit
y where I am bombarded on Facebook of friends pics of snow covering the city and the amazing mountains #sojealous. Is it too much to ask to be crammed into a good ‘ol hometown pub with everyone’s scarves, hats, and jackets scattered about- chewing on cheese curds, drinking beer, and high-fiving everyone around us when the Packers score again. GO PACK! That is all.
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