It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

I love Christmas. At the foundation of my love for this holiday is the genuine meaning of it, rooted in my faith. However, I have to admit that I also appreciate the tacky superfluous elements that go into celebrating December 25th every year. From brilliant light displays, to fuzzy Christmas socks, to giant inflatable Santas inhabiting front lawns, I love it all. One transcending contribution to the holiday spirit is Christmas movies. I am sure that many of you watch a few classics every year, and adopted doing so as a family tradition; back home, my family has done the same. Regardless of the movie genre, there is one consistent image, and that is the scene of Christmas night. Everything is peaceful and the ground is laden with snow...

Recognize this? It's the Home Alone house!

Unfortunately, this is a blaring inaccuracy. Christmas in Oklahoma was about 65 degrees this year, and that, honestly, is not too uncommon. In fact, I can only recall experiencing one white Christmas in my life. But not to worry, readers, when I returned to Penn State after a lovely hiatus back in Oklahoma, I was met with a plethora of snow and freezing temperatures (yay.)

I cannot begin to count the number of times people ask me if it snows in Oklahoma, and the answer is yes. We get occasional flurries, but it is exceptionally rare to see more than about four inches of snow on the ground. I was overjoyed to finally experience a legitimate snowfall, and it was incredible... for about ten minutes. Two friends and I decided to go outside to enjoy the pristine, fresh snow and take pictures. Our awed appreciation of the delicate flakes soon faded when Penn State was suddenly transformed into a tundra. I am sure that to many of you this was Mother Nature's amateur work, but to this girl from the South, this was Snowmageddon awakening for the first time to wreak havoc. 

This is absolutely something that I am not used to, but a huge part of college for everyone is being put in situations and needing to adapt to things we are not used to. For me, it just so happens that this new thing is the snow; however, I plan to fully embrace it. Being here at Penn State and enduring the cold gives me opportunities for adventures that I would not have had before. I am endlessly thankful for that and I already have my first new adventure planned: snowboarding (please pray for me...) I know that it is easy to grow complacent because we have already been here for quite some time, but that does not mean it needs to be boring. There are still new experiences out there just waiting to be had. Adventure is out there, so seek it out and experience it fully. 

So here's to a fantastic new semester! I wish you all the happiness you can possibly imagine and immunity from hypothermia. 

Pictures courtesy of 

Home Alone

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