A Fresh Perspective: Let it Snow

As I sit staring out the window at the gray sky and falling snow, I am both amazed and disappointed by this sudden downturn in the Iowa weather. First, it was a chilly, cloudy summer and now we have snow in October? What did we do to make Mother Nature so angry with us? We’re supposed to be strolling around campus admiring the colors of the changing leaves—not rushing to class as fast as possible to avoid the frigid temperatures. Fall sports practices in the snow should happen at the end of the season, not halfway through!

Summer seemed to completely fade into winter with no regards to fall whatsoever. With no warning signals, I think it caught many people off guard. Several I’ve talked to even said they never thought they’d need their winter coats before Thanksgiving. Now they’re shivering until they can bring their coats from home.

This unexpected weather phenomenon has made some Luther students happier than others. Today, in one of my classes, I listened to a girl gushing about how excited she was for winter to come and how much she loves the snow. On the other end of the spectrum, I have a friend from Louisiana who barely knows what it’s like to be outside in anything below 60 degrees. One can only imagine his disgust with having to walk across campus amidst the falling flakes. I’m pretty bummed we seem to be completely skipping what is, in my opinion, the best season of the year, but I usually try to see the bright side of things. Maybe an early winter isn’t the most terrible thing that could happen.

This will be my first winter in Decorah, and from what I’ve heard, we should be ready for snow—and lots of it. My all-time favorite winter pastime is snowmobiling, and I’m super pumped to hit the trails over Christmas break. Sledding is definitely a close second, and let’s be serious: who doesn’t love a good snowball fight? After that, it’s time to warm up with some hot chocolate and cuddle up with a warm blanket and a great movie. See? Winter won’t be so bad.

Trust me, I am not thrilled with the idea of freezing my butt off well over a month in advance. But rather than complain about circumstances we can’t change, let’s just focus on the good and look forward to spring!