The Most Wonderful Time of The Year - Well, Almost…

By Hailey S.

It’s winter again! ‘Tis the season your winter jacket becomes your new best friend. These are the months that have us all posing the same question: Why aren’t we living in Hawaii?

Yes folks: it is winter. You will go to school while it’s still dark and get back home when darkness has come again. Brrrr! Well I’m about to remind you of some of the best parts of wintertime that somehow, can also turn into the worst parts of wintertime and it is impossible to avoid.

1. Sipping a Warm Drink by the Fire.
   It has been a long week and you have had a ton of exams to study for and all you want is some time to unwind. Sitting next to the fireplace, you indulge in your newly bought Starbucks grande-mocha-extra-hot-chocolate-something drink. Nothing could go wrong, right? Right…that is until you burn your tongue because you did not expect your beloved beverage to be that hot. Ouch! Burning your tongue is one of the worst feelings ever, especially when you have the yummiest drink in your hand. All you wanted to do was enjoy your beverage in peace, but instead, you suffer in pain and regret that you took a sip too quickly. The rest of your drink is impossible to enjoy without causing more pain, and this memory may even haunt you every time you eat or drink something warm. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
   
2. Hat Hair
   To leave the house during winter (especially in Calgary), you need a sweater, a winter coat, winter boots, a scarf, mittens, leg warmers, fuzzy socks and of course, the dreaded tuque. You can’t deny that hats are the worst of the suffocating warm clothes necessary during the winter season. You can’t feel your ears while you are waiting for the bus in the mornings, so you have no choice but to throw one on. All is fine, until you reach your locker at school where you are unaware of the mess just waiting to be uncovered. You know that under that wool chapeau of yours, there is a mane of static-lathered hair that will stick out in every direction possible. The best you can do is smile, and try to be proud of the new frizzy hair you’ve acquired for the rest of the day.
   
3. Wishing to Have a Lazy Day
   The snow never stops falling and your alarm clock keeps on ringing. You imagine how badly you would love to simply roll to the other side of the bed and forget the fact that you need to be at school in a couple of hours. The thought of completely wasting away the cold day by spending it in your pjs whilst watching your favourite movie on the couch is too good to ignore. But no, there are papers to be written and notes to be taken in the boring atmosphere that is the classroom, so you decide to get up and make your way to school. The snow piles over top the black ice on the roads. Your car decides to stall and get stuck in the alley about twenty metres from your house. Maybe you even slip and fall while walking to school and get mocking looks from strangers you have never even met! You immediately regret starting your day and wish you were right back at home, in your bed where you first began.

If you encounter these unfortunate turn of events this winter, you know you are doing something right. This just means you have been hit with a case of the authentic winter familiarity that is all too common to some. What choice do you have but to laugh? All in all, you should be glad to have spring break to look forward to (a MUCH safer time of year) after you survive another long chilly season that Calgary is more than willing to offer.

Best of luck this winter!