Snow, Snow Go Away

Snow, Snow Go Away

Snow, Snow Go Away

No longer can I take the frigid temperatures nor the dirty slush that refreezes nightly on the roadways. My shoes are covered in salt, snow and cinders.  My dogs need assistance to get through the mounds of snow just to relieve themselves; my children have chapped skin, my husband has had enough shoveling and I am tired of following everyone around with the Swiffer.  School is canceled again; the grocery store lines are insane and, just like the ice on the window pane, I have finally cracked.  It’s time to move to a place where the winter isn’t quite as fierce. If it were December, I would say there is nothing more beautiful and comfy than sitting by a lit fireplace wearing a cozy sweater with a cup of hot chocolate in hand in a chateau overlooking a fresh blanket of snow.  But then there’s the aftermath in mid-January. The salt, the cinders and grime are everywhere, and I no longer have the tolerance for the cold, bitter winters with which I grew up. It may be time to head south or out west for a little longer stay because we have a lot more winter to go around here. It has become the norm for my family to intentionally take a warm trip in February or March because, as I get older, our winters seem so long and less tolerable. I find myself with much less energy with the early sunsets and the cold weather, but this is where I live, so for now, I try to find my escape. I have booked this year’s trip to a warmer climate. The countdown begins, so that is what I focus on when the winter glum holds me down. In the past, there have been trips where we sprinted from the airport parking lot to the terminal, suitcases in hand, because we did not want to drag along our winter coats.  There have been trips where we’ve come back suntanned and relaxed simply to be greeted, as we were landing, to the vision of more snow on the runway.  I don’t care. I still need that little break. Until it is time to go, I try to “escape” by tackling indoor projects to occupy my mind.  Yet, each time I look outside, there is a constant reminder that it will be awhile until the birds chirp and the summer breeze blows through our town. Sometimes I need to give myself a little pep talk and this is one of those days. I can’t move the gloomy clouds and I can’t control the precipitation, but I can survive it and I can defy it. So, snow, snow go away and do not come back for any stay.