No snow, no fun?

By Hannah Bucklin
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Oh, to be in California. There is a truth to the bliss that is USD, on the Pacific coast in sunny California, where the local population is tanned all year round, and where cold means wearing long sleeves.

A place where, if you have to be a bum, you might as well be a beach bum, lolling around on warm sands, wading out into warm waters and always having shades on hand to subdue the eternal brightness.

Constant warmth brings contentment, peace of mind and a laid-back attitude that contributes to the nation’s west coast character.

But I am from the east coast, and that is not how everyone lives. I, as well as many other people, come from a state that goes through the four seasons. Since being at USD and missing out on winter, I have realized how magical and fun the winter season can be.

The word winter evokes many things: Christmas, the cold, ice, skiing, snowmen, hot chocolate and the most obvious, snow.

If you were to look up the word ‘winter’ in the dictionary, ‘snow’ would be a very accurate description of the results.

Experiencing the idealness of snow is one of the best parts of winter. Waking up in the morning to see every house covered in snow is best described as magical.

During the early hours of the morning, neighborhoods looks like snow globes.

However, being in San Diego means that there is no winter, which ultimately means that there is no snow. Unlike most of the country, California seems to always have idyllic summer weather and never has to endure the snow, ice and frost that everyone else does.

They say you can only have so much of a good thing, and right now the same goes for warm weather.

I miss winter. I miss the beauty of the snowflake, and I miss the bracing wind.

I miss the opportunity to fall flat on my back and mark out a snow angel, to build a snowman and to throw snowballs. I miss wading through snow drifts, slipping on ice, sledding off a hill and skiing down a mountain.

I even miss snow days, those unpredictable times when everything comes to a complete halt because there’s just so much snow that leaving the house is near impossible.

Those times when there is no school for days at a time while roads are cleared and pathways are dug from the front door to the sidewalk.

The fact that lost time must be made up during the summer is besides the point; the joy comes in knowing you can snuggle back into a warm bed on a cold day.

The reality is that people flock to California for the good weather and year round sunny skies, myself included.

Ultimately, though, I feel like something is missing from the winters in sunny San Diego.

Yes, USD arranges trips to Big Bear and puts on a “winter night” but it is not quite the same.

Fake snow does not come close to the real thing. Some of my best childhood memories come from making a snow igloo in my backyard and surprise attacking my sister with a snowball.

Besides snow, winter brings frost that glues itself to windows, making intricate and enticing patterns. Crystal icicles hang from rooftops making houses glisten in the sunlight.

Year-round warm weather is great, but the absence of classic winter elements makes it not feel like winter. Each season means change and so with fall turning into winter there should be some physical change. But I don’t see the palm trees changing color and losing their leaves.

So, Californians experience winter by taking a trip to the mountains. But maybe they should experience getting stuck in a snowstorm, slipping on black ice and the trees dripping with icicles. Winter can be a magical time, and everyone should experience it at least once.