Back in England

How many times can I include 'snow' in one post?

I had meant to post an update before I left, but everything was a bit hectic and I didn't get the time to do so. Now I'm writing this from my bedroom in England, watching the snow fall off the trees outside. No offence, Britain, but after coming from Boone your snow seems pretty mediocre. The radio updates are panicking about closing down roads, airports, and the whole foot of snow that some place in Wales in dealing with. Well. I just went outside in my pyjamas, and the snow only just covered my own foot. I wish I had the time to make a snow post before leaving Boone - the snow storms (which usually hold off until Christmas, but which came early!) meant we had nearly four feet of snow! This maybe doesn't sound like much to the Canadian study abroaders, but -- especially with the wind -- everything was pretty crazy. According to Ray's Weather Center (www.booneweather.com is generally considered the most accurate forecasting place -- if you hear anyone refer to Ray, or to it being 'a golfball day', Ray's Weather Center is the source!) the wind chill on a couple days was -21 Fahrenheit! Now, Fahrenheit was a thing I struggled with. Someone would be talking about how cold/hot it is ("59 degrees!") and they could be saying anything at all, random lists of numbers, the ingredients for a cake. I don't know. But in the final couple weeks I spent so much time marvelling at the temperature (very British) that I finally got a grip on it. Certainly, you don't need to know much to know that -21 F is COLD! But for reference, that's nearly -30 degrees Celsius.

The snow drifts were the best thing. I would walk through them, and it came up to my thighs. I never did go down the infamously named "Suicide Hill" though. It's great for sledding, pretty steep, but sledders have to fling themselves off the sled (or cafeteria tray, or cardboard box) before they run into the building or the lamp-post at the bottom.

Boone is good at clearing the snow, though. Usually all the main paths would be cleared by midday, and we could go out if we wanted to brave the wind (although the five minute jaunt for coffee from Trivette Hall was usually more than enough). They piled up all the snow into huge piles along the side of the pavements -- taller than me! I took some good photos, and will scan them in once they have been developed (I still haven't replaced the camera I broke in D.C). There were a couple of days where the campus was closed, though. Finally, many of the exams were cancelled (unfortunately none of mine!).

I will do a post about finals at ASU later on this evening. I am also desperate to write an update about New York! For now, I have to get dressed and go out for lunch with my family. I am happy to be home, but I do miss Boone. It feels a bit strange at the moment, because home is so familiar. I have put all my photos of App State up, and all the things I have from football games, my App shirt, the gifts we got from the international leaving reception (more later) etc. I keep looking at them to remind myself that study abroad was not just an elaborate dream! From so far away, it feels a bit unreal. Not very pleasant!

But I guess this is the other side of culture shock. I know I have to do all the same things I did when first arriving in Boone - don't compare cultures, etc. So I will finish this blog post for now and go out to enjoy the snow :)