As a kid I always loved winter. There are so many exciting things that come with winter: snow, snow days, hot chocolate, school breaks and so much more.

In winter, I would always get bundled up and play outside for hours. There was always something to do or build. It was a great way to spend time with friends, family or just alone.

There are so many memories I have of the snow.

Let’s start with the good.

During recess, there was a big hill in the back of the school where students always went sledding. We had the little roll-up sleds and we would be so excited running up the hill all recess. There were times when students even built jumps to go off.

When we weren’t sledding, we were building snowmen, having snowball fights or being creative. There was even one time my friends and I dug a little booth into the snow and would just hang out there.

When it would snow even harder, we would have snow days.

I remember the different rituals I and others had as a kid in hopes of having a snow day. Flushing an ice cube down the toilet, having a spoon under my pillow and checking the snow day calculator were the ones I would always go to.

As a kid, these were the best days ever. I got to spend the whole day with my sister, and we would always come up with random things to do. The best memories when it was too cold to go out were making home videos pretending to be on the news or creating our own skits.

There are so many good memories that come with snow. Even now it brings me back to those days.

Now as an adult, snow and winter are a little different story.

While the snow is pretty it can also be a nuisance. When it snows it is sometimes at the most inconvenient time. It is not the most fun walking through the snow hoping not to fall down the hill.

There is no way to get out of walking in the snow either as a college student since we don’t get snow days.

There is also the issue of having to drive through it. It can stop or delay plans which can be hard or else you must risk slipping on the drive.

My first time driving through bad weather, I hit a patch of ice and slid through a stop sign. Thankfully nothing happened, but that has deterred me from driving in the snow.

Not only do we have to drive through it, but we also must defrost and scrap off our cars.

Also, with snow comes shorter days, making me more tired than normal.

While I have my dislikes about winter and snow, I always try to make the best of it.

Throwing a snowball at a friend randomly and starting a spontaneous snowball fight brings back that childlike spirit of winter. I also can’t deny the fact that the sparkle of the snow always makes me smile.

One of my favorite things to do on a long free winter night is curling up with a good book, some hot chocolate and a blanket.

Another perk of winter is our long five-week break to recoup and refresh for next semester.

Even now while I have my moments of trial with snow and winter, the season will always have a place in my heart.

Geske can be reached at [email protected].