Let me take you back in time to December 5 years ago, I was newly engaged and on a plane with my fiance on our way to Ohio to meet my future in-laws. Now most of you know that I was born and raised in Central Texas where our winters consist mostly of 50 degree days with beautiful blue skies and the occasional ice storm. I had never been around real snow, not the powdery stuff you see on TV and I was super excited. When we got off the plane at Cleveland’s airport and I stepped outside I completely lost my breath (you know the way babies do when you blow in their little faces). It was COLD! And snow was everywhere.

It was evening so I didn’t get out in it much that night, but the following day it was time to play. I was like a

kid in the proverbial candy story, itching with excitement. So on my first day with the white stuff here’s what I learned.

And please note that you will now understand who the idiot is in my blog’s title. And you Yankees can feel free to laugh at me, it’s okay, I deserve it.

Snow is wet - Now I’m not sure what I was expecting since this is simply frozen precipitation, but the fact that I got all wet when I made a snow angel was a big surprise to me.

Scarves are good – There is a reason people in the north wear scarves. Until this trip, I never understood the value of a scarf, but I get it now so that the snow doesn’t fall down your collar and chill your neck.

Snow gets hard - No luckily I didn’t have to learn this the hard way (pardon the pun), but I easily could have. On that first day when we went out so I could play in the snow, there was a lovely and huge pile of snow right by my in-law’s garage. Now in retrospect I do realize that what follows was incredibly foolish for a variety of reasons. Number 1, I’d never been to my in-laws and for all I knew there was a brick wall under that snow. And well, as my fiances eyes grew round and panic etched his features as I free-fell backwards into the powder, I learned that sometimes snow can be hard. But as I said, I was lucky and it wasn’t and my fall was wonderfully childish and fun.

Snow is so quiet - this isn’t so much an idiot’s lesson, but again I was relatively surprised by how quiet the snow is when it falls. It’s peaceful and solemn and beautiful and if it weren’t so darn cold I’d want to see it everyday.

We’re up here now in snowy NE Ohio and having a great time. We’re excpected more snow today and the rest of our time here, and there’s still one thing I’ve never done…make a snowman. So hopefully I’ll get the opportunity to do so this time. How about you? Do you love the snow? Have you ever been surprised by a new place you visited?

Oh and Happy New Year!