A snow day - the ultimate freebie from God and your friends at the weather channel.
I remember having a snow day or two as a child in Port Coquitlam. It was such a pleasant surprise to wake up in the morning to find our quiet block transformed into a Christmas fantasy. You don't have to go to school and all there is to do is play outside or watch TV and drink hot cocoa as you watch the white flakes fall from the comfort of your own home.
Yes, as a child, snow days are the best. But as a university student, not so much. Recently, Chicago was hit by a massive blizzard that left 58 inches of snow in its wake and I didn't get one day off - I got three.
My first reaction was one of joy and jubilation, naturally. It's as if the universe forced you to sleep in, take it easy and watch some Lifetime television.
But as the clock ticked and the first day of snow confinement commenced, boredom began to set in and the knowledge of all the things that need to get done began to take over my brain. Suddenly, the snow I so loved when I was little became a menace, keeping me away from work (I need the money), school (two weeks of homework in one) and errands (no paper towels!). I went from carefree to stressed in record time. But for the first time in my life I was actually glad that I don't have a car.
I managed to make it to Target just before the snow was set to hit to pick up some food with which to ride out the storm. The aisles were full of people scurrying to buy food but the shelves were near empty. Most perishable items were sold out, everyone was running around as if the apocalypse was about to hit and we needed to stock up for the rest of our lives.
At first, I found this comical and extreme. A short few hours later, the blizzard began and people were forced to abandon their cars on the highway and find other modes of transportation to get home.
Makeshift shelters were opened for those who were stranded and those who do not have homes. The winds roared at more than 40 mph and, every so often, the sky would be illuminated with a bright glow of lightning, making for a surreal winter wonderland.
After the worst of it was over, the chaos stopped and we were left with snow. Lots and lots of snow. And as I sit now in front of my living room window watching the snow fall, hot coffee in hand, I must admit I feel warm and fuzzy at the sight of a six-year-old boy rejoicing with his dog - cheeks red, laughing and having a ball in the magical wonderland.
"Make a snow angel for me!" I shout out the window. He looks up, perplexed and slightly frightened, and moves his jubilation away from my front window quickly. I guess he's not supposed to talk to strangers.
Naomi Yorke is a Port Coquitlam student who lived in Shanghai, China for four years, writing about her experiences twice a month for The Tri-City News. She now lives in Chicago, where she's attending art school, and continues her column.
