Snow
I am from a country where it never snows. I hadn’t seen snow until I was an adult.
If you’re not like me here’s some context :
1) I have never seen ice that a person didn’t make. Every time I have seen something frozen , it was because of some sort of machine. So the first time you see snow glittering on the ground? You stop and stare at constellations. An inverted sky , right at your feet.
2) I had no idea how The Cold really felt. You can watch shows and read books but until you’re fumbling for your keys in -3°C weather , you can’t understand how bone deep it runs. It’s difficult not to mythologize. How that cold is everywhere, how even in your heated home your toes are cold. I often say to myself that my body knows the real temperature, it’s why I’m never truly warm when it’s winter.
3) I always thought that the colder it was, the more it would snow. This is not the case. Some of the coldest days have clear blue skies and a radiant sun. Fall for it and your skin will split in seconds of being outside. That dry cold is a violent thing.
