This made a smile bloom on my face for several reasons. I literally just read an article about
Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin's reaction to the election with
Winter is Coming: I Told You So in the title before popping onto here and noticing this thread, haha. (Warning: don't read the article if you're wanting to banish thoughts of politics from your mind for a few blissful minutes).
The sunniness of your thread about winter also cheered me. I love winter! Though, I must clarify that I feel more like a tourist to winter than someone who resides in it. I live in California where it can feel like summer in the middle of December at times. My family has a vacation home up in the mountains a few hours away, and so we go up there to snowboard, sled down the steepest slopes we can find, ski, make snow angels, and drink hot cocoa by the fire.
Snow makes me giddy. It feels like a playground provided by Mother Nature. I'd probably feel very differently about it if I had to confront treacherously icy roads and sidewalks, or biting winds on my way to class or work. When it falls below 60 degrees F SoCal natives consider it "freezing." We pull out the winter clothes that have remained in our closet unworn for months and bundle up.
For us who are from LA, winter is the time when the winds tend to sweep the city clean and make it dazzle beautifully. I love going home then. It's when it's possible that we'll actually have rain. In drought-stricken California, it's like this foreign liquid that falls from the sky and creates majesty. A friend shared this pic that was taken a couple of weeks ago:
http://instagr.am/p/BMHJsTvAIYX/
At Stanford we have a bit more rain than in LA, but it's still rare enough to feel like a treat rather than something cumbersome.
I'm also excited about Christmas and winter break! The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind due to my job and school both peaking simultaneously. Midterms in tandem with the most momentously eventful time of the job. So winter makes me think of lounging in pajamas until 9, binge watching shows, and being with friends, family, and my pets.
I love the Christmas markets in Paris, and all the lovely decorations throughout the city. I hope you savor each day and have the most magnificent time!
