Maquinna's Poop du Jour

Weekend Forecast: More Snow

People in New England assume that because I'm Canadian, I'm used to cold temperatures and a lot of snow. They are often surprised to hear me tell them that where I lived, on Vancouver Island, snow fell rarely and usually doesn't stick around for more than a day or two. I don't know what causes this misperception other than general geographic ignorance. We refer to home as the wet coast. The town I grew up in had about 180" of rain each year - it's in a rainforest, so that's what it does - it rains. We wear Gore-tex, not down parkas.

When I first moved to Massachusetts several years ago, it was January and there was a heavy layer of snow on the ground, covered in a crust of ice. I don't believe I saw grass, that first year, until April. Just as snow began to melt, another six inches would fall. I saw more snow that first winter than I had in an entire lifetime on the west coast.

My boyfriend loves the winter and loves the snow. It has taken me a long while to warm up to it. I can't help but agree that it makes the trees and fields around us look incredibly beautiful. The charm of it, however, quickly dissipates when you're trying to do any of your normal daily activities. Cars are a menace. Uncleared walkways are treacherous. Three-hour commutes on the turnpike through a nor'easter at 10 mph are not fun. If only I didn't have to go anywhere, I might be able to embrace winter as lovingly as Craig does.

I'll say this much: winter back home was five months of grey drizzle. You could go weeks on end without seeing much sun. All that fog and rain can be romantic, but it isn't long before it can be incredibly depressing. At least in New England, you get plenty of sunny days through the winter. I suppose it's just a question of appreciating the particular beauty of each place. The longer I am here, the more keenly I feel how divided my heart is between the two.

posted by Maquinna @ 11:40 a.m.