Rough Comparisons Part 1:

One of my friends told me recently that I should have a million and one things to write about. I don't really think that is true, but her argument got me to thinking and wondering how much of everyday life we pass by as mundane that may in fact be captivating to others. Or at very least, they like to for a moment catch a glimpse of life through our eyes.
Anywho...
She mainly said that since I had traveled to the other side of the world and back that I should have many experiences to write about. This may in fact be true. So I have decided to start a rather small mini-series for the rest of my time in the U.s. chronicling the many differences and similarities between my time in Uganda, Africa and my time in Kansas, U.S.A. Hold on to your hats folks, because I am sure this is bound to get politically incorrect, brutally honest, and heart-wrenchingly beautiful.

Rough Comparisons Part 1: Weather

I'm sorry, I can't help it. And before you get mad at me for moaning and complaining about the weather, please understand my situation. I am currently freezing in my living room with a quilt over my sweat-pant clad legs, in 2 lays of shirts plus a hoodie typing this. Not to say that my house is lacking in heat. In fact, the heater is going full blast down the hall, plus the central air duct above me. Problem is... its freaking negative degrees in Farenheit out there! Let me clarify for those of you who may read this who are familiar with the Celcius scale. In Farenheit 32 degrees is freezing. So when I say its negative degrees you have to realize that in order to reach 0 it would already be 32 degrees below freezing, then its probably about -10, so we are up to 42 degrees below freezing. That's pretty darn cold. But its not just the cold... though that seeps in my windows and makes me sleep in a cocoon shape with my blankets to avoid inhaling the cold drafts and adding to my lovely 3 week long cold... the sky has also decided to currently bless Kansas with these strange white things falling from the sky, and unlike biblical times, you cannot collect it and eat it (although... strange story, but we totally used to do that at my parents house. my dad would go collect fresh snow for us and we ate it with honey and sprinkles on it. strange but true. apparently no one else does this though, and when my brother did when they were first married, my sister-in-law looked at him like he was crazy! (not that he isn't... but thats another story...)) Anyway this white stuff has piled on the ground in what I think was 7 inches total. Lovely driving weather for my tiny little sports car, let me tell you! And I just adore trying to step exactly where I stepped the day before so I don't freeze in my thin Converse All-Stars that I wear for work.
I suppose its my own fault. Naturally I am cold. I am in fact probably one of the worst all weather Kansans alive. (yet another agrument towards my real nationality...) The boots that I own fall under the categories of stilleto, fashion, and cowboy... but no snow boots. I actually don't even own a winter coat. (which is a long story, but I consider quite a feat since I haven't for the last 2 winters aside from a very old cerulean down coat that my mom's brother wore in college... yeah, weird I know, but its my 'play-in-the-snow-and-you-can-get-this-dirty' coat) Every time that I have gone to purchase a coat I have been unable to find one that I like that fits right or I have found it and found that I couldn't justify spending that much on a coat that I can't even wear but for a couple months out of the year. In the end that money ends up going towards someone who can actually use it, or it gets spent on bills or car repairs or something.
But all that aside, every time I look at the snow I can't help but wonder what it would be like to have never seen snow. I really can't imagine it. I've lived my whole life in Kansas. I've seen snow (however scanty) every year for my entire life. I've been excited for the days when Mom would allow us to bundle up and go play in it (and yes, allow is the right word, because somehow letting us have fun meant an incredible amount of work for her! and she was so gracious to let us do it so much!) I've shovelled the walk when it was crazy frozen out. I've even begged to be allowed to go get the mail to have a change to play in it. And I have even gone for walks on those nights when the snow finally stops and everything is deathly silent and all you can hear is the crunch of your own two feet creating a singular trodden path through the giant winter wonderland that the world has become under its fluffy white slumbering blanket.
Yet, since going to Africa, I have so many friends now who have legitimately never seen snow. Nor will they likely in their lifetimes unless the go to Mt. Kilomanjaro or something... Funny, its one thing they really wonder about. And that which I find inconvenient however pretty it may be, they find absolutely fascinating. I had one person tell me that even though he hated the cold, he was sure he would love snow. I actually laughed at him, which was mean, but how could you know you would love something you have never experienced? And... news flash, but cold must absolutely accompany snow, or you will have water... not snow. So no luck in the liking-one-thing-and-hating-another catergory.
And the really funny thing is that I started actually liking it better myself. Its like when you were a little kid and you had a toy that you didn't really care for or play with much, but as soon as your little sister picked it up, you were like, "whoa! hold up a minute honey! that's my toy and I was going to play with it!" Yeah, thats not really a very favorable example, but I think it captures it well. Except in this case, its not out of malice, just out of genuine interest in something that is so interesting to everyone else!
I can't help but catch myself wondering now how it would be to see snow for the first time and if throwing a snowball would just be amazing, or if ice-skating feel like flying.