A Winter Wonderland

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Everyone always told me New York winters were supposed to be the worst. I was preparing to be shocked, but so far it hasn’t been bad at all. It gets cold here, but not much colder than it ever did in Utah. The only thing that kills you here is the wind. With all of the perpendicular and parallel streets and tall buildings, the city is full of wind tunnels that make a cold day even colder.

What I have been waiting for all year is a good snow storm. Before Friday, it had only snowed twice; both times sticking for only a few hours. Then on Friday, the big storm came. I was actually really excited. I like snow as long as I don’t have to drive in it, and seeing that I do not have a car, I love the snow here! The storm only dropped about 6 inches in the city, but it created havoc for the airports. I actually had a friend flying out of JFK that morning and she didn’t leave until about 3 pm. It was crazy.

Now the fun part: There is a photo gallery on my walk to the subway. In the window they have several pictures of central park in the snow. Ever since I saw those pictures, I have wanted to take snow pictures in the park as well. Thus, on Saturday I woke up and went running in the park. On the way back, I just stopped and took pictures. It was so much fun, so I hope you enjoy them.

The park has been one of my favorite places in the city. It is a place to escape from the bustling city life. I usually go running in the park several times a week as a time for reflection. With the added snow, the park seemed so silent and peaceful. As I was taking the pictures, I was in awe of the beauty and the serenity of nature that can even be found in the biggest city in the country.

It was such a play day for the rest of the city too. Since people don’t have yards, they use the park. There were kids everywhere going sledding and building snowmen. It was fun to see. I just wish I had time to put on my snow clothes and play in snow.