The first time I saw snow

Winter break, 2016/17, snow

It was near the end of winter break. Most people had gone home to spend time with family. I decided to stay in the Netherlands and travel around for a bit. Family is great, but they can be a handful and I needed some rest. I had fun having a nerf battle with Olle and Eelke in a very empty Frascati during that break, but that could be another story in itself. Anyway, I was getting bored from the lack of humans around me. I realized Alissa and Claudio were both flying back the next night, so I decided to take a trip to Amsterdam in the morning and pick them up from the airport. Simeon would be there too. I have been to Amsterdam at least 15 times so I don't quite remember what I did that exact time (more reason to write stuff down!). I am assuming it was one of those chill trips where you walk around and look at the curious tourist and annoyed locals. Anyway, so around 1 AM I was at the airport after strolling around Amsterdam. I was a little tired by then. Not sleepy yet becasuse I have hardcore insomia but still manage to function somehow. Claudio had arrived, and soon so did Simeon. Alissa's plane was to arrive a bit. Being the nicotine addict that I still admittedly am, at some point I decided to go outside and have a cigarette. Claudio joined me for the outside air. It was around 2:30 AM.

I lit my cigarette and gazed into the night sky. People were still around and about the airport. The moon was almost full and shone quite bright. It did not seem like it was 2:30 AM. My brain wondered through decisions I made, as it does. I was in a place very new to me. I would not have thought I would be there even a year ago. It felt nice to be somewhere new. To be able to become someone new. To see and feel things I did not know I would appreciate so much. It was during that thought that it felt like I was seeing rain. But it wasn't rain. It was something I had only seen in media - snow! A small flake dropped on my hand. It felt gentle. As smoke trailed up from between the fingers holding my cigarette, little dots of white eased down from the heavens. The moment felt right. It felt new, yet also familiar. It felt like the moment was meant to be. The smoke fluttered as it hit the bud of the cigarette. As the sight of my first snow sank in, I woundered about all the new things that life had in store for me. I was only about two months into my life in Groningen. And perhaps not even half way through my journey of life. Change can be overwhelming. But it is in these changes that new joys can be found. Joys that one would never have imagined they would later hold so dear in their heart. At that point, it really did feel like I had made a good decision by coming to Groningen. And I was ready for whatever else was to come.

Submitted by Abidur on 2020-02-13

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