A New Winter

Flecks of white fell from the sky, astounding my feeble understanding of the weather. I, a sheltered Bay Area native, questioned what this mysterious substance was during my first Princeton snowfall, not realizing that it was snow until the ground was covered in white. On that November day, those who were not used to snow distinguished themselves, walking around in wonder, enjoying the winter whiteness.“Snow started falling from the sky and I didn’t realize that it was snow at first. It didn’t actually feel that cold, so I was confused, but it was definitely snow,” said freshman Megan Pai, a San Diego resident.Jasmine Li, a freshman from the Bay Area, discovered both the positives and negatives of snow in her first experience with it.“That was kind of a magical experience [when snow fell] even though it got kind of cold and wet and sad and started hitting my face afterward,” she said.Winter is a new experience, but snow is not the only part of winter.It is cold and windy. Now, any temperature above 45 degrees puts a smile on my face. Checking the weather is now a morning ritual. I don’t leave my room without knowing whether I will need an umbrella or how heavy a coat I need to wear. I still longingly peer at the California weather reports, solemnly reminiscing about the sunny, 65-degree weather that I used to have in November.Kenalpha Kipyegon is a freshman from Bomet, Kenya. In Kenya, there are no winters, rather rainy and dry seasons.“The cold is something you never get used to and every day always seems like it is colder than the previous day,” said Kenalpha. “But to have new experiences is part of the reason I came to the US.”Layering is an essential part to surviving the chills of winter. I have yet to resort to more than a single heavy coat, but my closet is well stocked for when the time comes.“My experience with cold weather in the past has been unpleasant because I just wasn’t wearing enough clothing. But now, I have brought warm clothing with me and I’m layering, so I’m managing,” said Megan.As Jasmine aptly put it, “Sometimes your Forever 21 polyester sweater is just not going to hold up in this winter.”