Of road salt & city snow.

I love the snow. That's the little girl in me that was born & raised south of the Mason Dixon line.

In the Lone Star state, it only snowed once or twice that I can recall. And it never actually made it to the ground but instead chose to melt into freezing rain part way down.  As an elementary school student, I never actually got to touch the snow as it fell. I was just too darn short. The adults were lucky to touch the aforementioned snow.

In the Land of the Peaches in middle and high school it snowed maybe once a year. It was only a half inch that melted by noon of the same day. We'd all frolic happily in the snow, thrilled to have the day off school.  By noon the world had returned to normal.

Last year (my first real winter), I learned a deep dislike for city snow. City snow is not like snow in the suburbs. It's a disgusting, annoying experience.

Sure it looks beautiful. But don't let that beauty fool you.

When you reach the edge of the sidewalk, the snow has melted from it's pretty white fluffy-ness into a disgusting slushy brown-black puddle of muddy semi-melted snow. It's a nasty little minefield that possibly hides ice that must be braved in order to cross the street.

Then there's road salt. Road salt is my archenemy, along with mold & dust. No shoe can stand up to road salt. It must be instantly rinsed lest it stain your shoes a nasty whiteish color. And starting in January here in Krabby Land there's a perpetual coat of the stuff on the sidewalk and roads. After all, you never know when it's going to freeze or snow.

Since moving to Krabby Land I've learned a lot. I invested in one of those black puffy unisex jackets. It's not that pretty but a faux fur collar and a waist that I can cinch in to make it a little less boxy make the jacket workable. It's a necessity here. Nothing else quite keeps you warm on the way to class. I'm also considering in investing in what I formerly considered the ugliest shoes none to mankind: Uggs. Well, second ugliest. Crocs are worse. I still refuse to be caught dead in those. However Uggs may actually be of use here in Krabby Land. They'll keep me super duper warm and dry. They stand up to road salt as well as any shoe can. And they last for more than a season. Suddenly, Uggs are looking downright...attractive. I still wouldn't wear them purely for fashion. I would wear them for practical reasons.

Despite all the whining I do love winter here in Krabby Land. Yes there's melty dirty city snow to be vaulted over and road salt to be washed off as soon as I get home. But the snow does coat the buildings prettily and I much prefer being cold to being hot. I still wouldn't move further north than I already am. But Krabby Land is the perfect blend of snow and warmth.

"I grew up thinking of snow as a luxury you visit."

John Landis