Core Memory Unlocked!
January 2008; just a few months after my family and I moved to the United States.
Hailing from the Southern part of India, to us snow was an abstract concept; something we witnessed occasionally in film songs and music videos.
It was sometime after the 3rd period in 6th grade when a kid yelled out "Hey look, it's snowing!". Along with the whole class, I turned towards the window too. To the kids around me, these powdery white flurries meant a seasonal occurrence; a simple reminder of the winter wonders. But for me, it was a monumental moment. An event like no other! Something I have never witnessed or experienced before in my life.
It continued to snow and during my bus ride home, I just stared out through the window, completely mesmerized. We all played in the snow at our bus stop and all along the way to our homes. I am quite certain that I might have even crunched down a few handfuls of snow. What made this experience even sweeter was the fact that we got the next day off as well. This also marked my very first time celebrating the whole ordeal of “snow day” and “getting snowed in”.
We didn’t have a car yet and the humble abode we were renting lacked both a garage and a proper driveway. So there was no shoveling snow or any other bitter, back breaking activity associated with the snow either. Not to mention, we were just children. We spent the whole day making snowmen, forming snow angels, and obviously having snowball fights. For the other kids around us, these activities were routine; part of the winter season and things kids did every time it snowed. But for us immigrant kids, who had just moved to the U.S a few months back,this event marked the celebration of a delightful holiday we were most certainly going to cherish and celebrate through our school years.
I am rather fortunate to be living in an area that has all 4 seasons. Even though it gets chilly during the winter months, we only get a few inches of snow; that too maybe once or twice a year. During the year 2009, there was a massive snow storm and many occurrences of snow days. We got so many days off from school that they had to extend the academic year by like 2 weeks in June. The years since have seen a decent amount of snow. As I went back to India to complete my medical education, those snow days soon melted into a fond but distant memory.
Fast forward to today: January 2025
Since moving back to the US after graduating medical school, there haven’t been much snow fall. With the rise in emissions and global temperatures, seasons have been relatively warmer when compared to our earlier days in this country, fresh off the boat. There have been weather reports suggesting a heavy snowfall as a result of a winter storm heading our way today. With predictions of about 10+ inches of snow, in this area it is a rare but significant issue. Earlier yesterday announcements of offices, schools, colleges, and pretty much every other institution closing due to the inclement weather were announced. Today, on the day of heavy snowfall, the city has been placed under a state of emergency. When I found out yesterday that our clinic was going to be closed as well, it took me back to those days when we used to get a voicemail from the Superintendent of our school district, notifying us that the schools were closed for the upcoming day due to the inclement weather.
When I got the text alert last night, it was like a core childhood memory being unlocked! Due to it’s rarity, especially in the area I live in, I have come to appreciate and enjoy these snow days. Putting on various layers covering me from the head to toe, I am out here in my yard, walking around and just taking it all in. This snowfall feels just as novel and exciting today as it did a decade ago. And that feeling of getting a day off feels special even as an adult going to the office.
- Rithin M.K
January 06,2025
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