It’s gorgeous outside. Like drop dead beautiful. Having grown up in Florida, snow is a mysterious, magical phenomena that only impacted the north, so now that I’ve made Philadelphia my home I feel like I’ve been allowed into some secret world.

One thing that will perpetually shock me is how bright it is outside. When everything is covered in a snowy blanket, the sun seems to be 100x amplified. It’s beautiful to see a huge patch of untouched snow reflecting the sun in a million little ice crystals.

I’ve also found a love of trying to walk on top of the snow. I have found that you can only do this on certain types of snow, but I have made it my mission to find out where I can do that. The occasional fear of falling through towards the solid ground gives me a sense of adventure on the way to classes. It’s also really pretty to walk across snow versus slogging through it ruining the pristine blanket that covers the earth.

The only “downside” is when the wind picks up and blasts you with an icy chill. It seems that no matter how much I bundle up a part of me is always cold. Usually it’s my ears, and I return inside to find them numb and in a bit of pain, but it’s very worth it to go across my own personal winter wonderland.

I find that in weather like this students tend to stay indoors a bit more than usual. I understand why, but this only gives me more of an opportunity to go outside and play. Pam has had it with me (having grown up in places that were super snowy) and my ways, but she’s a good sport and lets me take longer paths just so I can hear the crush beneath my feet.