Snow...

Many times in life ideas hold greater sway on our mind than reality. 

The idea of snow has been one such thing in my life. Ever since I learnt as a child that no two snowflakes are alike, snow was a beautiful, fascinating, mesmerising thing (I was almost enchanted by it)! Coming from a tropical country, snow was also rare and exotic. 

Wonderfully though, the ideas of romance, purity, uniqueness, and holidays that my brain has associated with snow over the years, still hold some sway. And so when we traveled to Tahoe this year, it was a beautiful experience, the cold notwithstanding. And trust me - it was cold! Coming from San diego where the sun shines gloriously even during the summers, my outerwear was ill equipped for  the snowy mountains of Tahoe but the ideas in my head made the experience better than what it was... :) 

I love the idea of sitting by the fireplace with a book and a blanket and a cup of hot cocoa, watching the snowflakes drift in. I love the feeling of warmth as it spreads through you upon holding a friendly hand after a numbing walk in the snow. I find it irritating but I also like the attention one needs to pay to every step as one walks through melted snow and ice. It is life that makes you observe every step and every breath you take - almost meditative.  

But I also know that six months at a stretch like this is probably too much for this girl from the tropics - snow is good but only in the holidays when you can sit by the window and enjoy. I need my sun while I work... :) 

PS - After not having seen any real snow for a large part of my life, I saw my first snow in Bryce last year. Then on a trip to Leh, I had my first snowfall/hailstorm experience which was awesome but also sheltered since we were driving most of the time. This visit to Tahoe and my walk in the parking lot was my first real experience of a real gentle snowfall - of snowflakes drifting in and landing ever-so-imperceptibly. And I love the fluffy whiteness of fresh snow and the brilliant icicles that form with time - almost human, right? Each has its own charm... 

Oh and did I mention - my first time on the skis... It was hilarious to start with and painful to end with... ;P