sunshine

Ski Week and Being Just Fine with Seeing Snow Only on Pictures

In some Southern California school districts, the short week of vacation called “Ski Week” is coming to an end. While I remember families flocking towards Mammoth Mountain or at least nearby Big Bear Mountain or Mountain High to catch some snow, this year I witnessed youth rather flying to Europe or the East Coast.

We didn’t do either. We stayed put and just enjoyed a nice, peaceful but rather chilly week with typical, delightful California sunshine. You think that’s boring? Well, I grew up with four seasons and while much can be beautiful in each one of them, there can also be endless rain in spring and fall and many dark, dark days in winter.

Snow – I don’t mind not having it, and while I used to seek it when my kids were younger for the sake of them learning how to ski, I now am just happy to witness snow falling via social media in other places, like Germany; far away, while I enjoy walking along the seashore in beautiful sunshine.

In fact, Germany just got reminded of the fact that it’s still winter and fluffy white snowflakes started covering cities especially Munich with layers and layers of snow. Perfectly right on time for our “Ski Week” here in California, ironically. So, I had my share of snow via Instagram, Facebook and What’s Up. My phone eagerly beeped all week-long announcing new pictures that were sent from family and friends overseas, covering for me the news of new snowmen popping up all over Munich.

I won’t deny it, seeing pictures of snowmen against a crystal blue sky made me somewhat envious,… but juuust for a short moment. True, these gorgeous, crisp winter days in Germany are really precious. The sun and the bright snow make for a very special light and being on top of a ski slope on a day like that, with a view of the alps around you, that’s heaven I remember.

Just as I am getting melancholy, however, I am reminding myself of the downside of snow in the city. I remember those days of shoveling mounds of snow off my car in freezing temperatures trying to get my children to their Kindergarten class on time. The challenges of driving in freshly fallen snow as well as driving on streets covered with slushy dirty snow are just as much a vivid memory as the dramatic balancing act of maneuvering the car over icy roads.

Oh, and did I forget mentioning parallel parking into parking spots battling with the snow for who is faster in filling the void space that I initially thought was an empty parking space?

California works just fine for me. If I am really desperate for snow and freezing temperatures in wintertime, snow – fake or real – is just a few hours away in the car. I can enjoy the white sparkling splendor for a few hours and then drive home to spend the evening at the beach if I like. It’s perhaps a bit of a stretch, yes, but it is possible!