Column by Nick Erickson, Assistant Features Editor
It’s common knowledge for Kentucky natives that we don’t typically get much snow here, let alone copious amounts of it. When the slightest hint of a snowflake hits radars, it often sends the public into panic and ensures kids an early release from school, at least in my hometown). For me, my sentiment on snow varies on the consistency of the snow itself. When it’s watered-down and provoking of black ice, it’s more an irritant and eyesore. However, powdery snow happens to be one of my favorite sights on Earth. You know, the kind you can actually use to your advantage: building stable snowmen, smooth sledding and making angels. This is the kind of snow I look forward to whenever I can.
This most recent snowfall in the first few weeks of January was reminiscent of my favorite occurence of snow: the second semester of my freshman year at Murray State. In January of 2015, Murray received enough snow to get us out of classes for nearly three weeks. Being, well, fresh to college, I was excited for the opportunity to not have to focus on classes for a period of time longer than a weekend. In place of academics came a new routine: sleep in until my body forced me to wake up, trek from White College to Winslow with my roommate and a group of mutual friends and spend the remainder of the day alternating between making music and playing old Nintendo 64 games in his friend Marshall’s room.
The fondest memory from this time period went deeper than the abundance of downtime. I met one of my best friends literally in the middle of a snowstorm when he and Marshall ran into a small ditch on the side of the college. I went out with my tool-savvy roommate to help get the two of them out. Afterwards, I ended up walking back with him to his fraternity house where we stayed up till sunrise. Little did I know we’d form a bond closer than I had made with most.
Roughly four years later, I still think about those three weeks often. Particularly lately, with the snow melting outside as I write this. Reflecting on those times has made me consider how different things are for me now.
I no longer enjoy sleeping in as late as I want. Anytime I sleep past 11 a.m. I feel like I have wasted the majority of my day and resent my actions for the remainder of it.
I no longer enjoy being cooped up within the confines of a building during the snow, or any weather for that matter. Though I can enjoy solitude in moderation and obviously spending time with friends, I prefer to seek out adventure— however small. By the end of the snow week, I was ready to begin classes just so I had more of an excuse to get out of the apartment.
One of the biggest realizations reinforced from this snowstorm is that things are changing almost as sporadically and as quickly as Kentucky’s weather. My friend recently moved to Nashville with his girlfriend he met only a few months ahead of me. I, too, will be moving somewhere this year. With my graduation merely four months away, there’s a lot to be done in a short period of time. Though the chance of another promising snow within the timeframe is slim, I don’t need it to know I have the chance to make more unforgettable memories.