First Snowfall

With the onset of winter in Columbus, I got to experience what everyone had warned me of time and again. I had only heard from the alumni and the residents of the city about how harsh and cold the weather could get. I belong to a region where it never snows. Having experienced it firsthand now, I feel that every single bit of preparation was worth it.

It all started even before our first semester began. As international students, we were clueless about the world that we were stepping into. After countless calls and coffee chats with our peers in the USA, we got a pretty good idea of how different our experience was going to be and how far away it was from the regular Indian winters. We were also asked not to bring any winter clothing from our home countries (where it’s warmer), as the clothes won’t be as resistant to the wildly fluctuating cold in Ohio.

We were exhilarated and looking forward to shopping for the winter coats, shoes, gloves and cute earmuffs. We started right away in September, but soon realized that what we had wasn’t enough. Come Black Friday sale, all of us spared no expense to prepare for the incoming snow. We bought coats, thermals, beanies and boots to name a few, and absolutely enjoyed the whole experience.

One fine night, we were all together and enjoying dinner while someone casually glanced outside. The time had finally arrived. It had started snowing and every moment of it was as breathtaking and magical as I had imagined it to be! We left the dinner midway to go out and play in the first snow. It was freezing cold but the experience was worth it.