Winter is the best season

Here's a hot take: Winter is the best season. I’m not talking about December winter, but winter winter—January through March, and sometimes April. The blissful time of year with snow days and weeks of freezing temperatures, blankets, slush, layers of clothes and, the most joyful of all, sledding. Being from an area that is, frankly speaking, the great plains of Western New York, hills are at a premium and sledding is rare. Unlike my home, Geneseo is positioned on a mountain, not a “hill,” which makes it the perfect location for this engaging activity.  

Unsurprisingly, until a couple weeks ago, I myself had never gone sledding. Now, thanks to some close friends and a flimsy bunny droppings tray from Tractor Supply—long story—I have been sledding several times.  

This excursion began on a Sunday afternoon, when the snow was still packed and it was around a freezing temperature. We journeyed to the hill in front of Monroe and began our sledding by forging a new path, which turned into paths in less than thirty minutes, down the hill. 

While this uncharted territory was trying at first, eventually, and with my novice help, we managed to make one long, smooth path both with and without the make-shift sled known as the droppings tray (which by now had so many cracks and holes in it we were beginning to give up on it).  

Sadly, my friends messed up the one successful path I created that went from the top of the hill all the way to the bottom. I still contend this was done on purpose as revenge for me hitting them with the occasional snowball. Revenge is a dish, literally, best served cold, and, to spite me, was delivered straight to my face whilst reflecting on life after a smooth glide down my path. 

Just before that snowball came crashing down on my nose, I took a moment to lay down and stare up at the beautiful crystal blue sky. It was a beautiful, chilly, clear day with crisp air, almost like the perfect winter day that we see in bad rom coms from the early 2000s. The air was cold, but we were all warm with the fun of friendship, sledding and a few layers a piece.  

As our afternoon began to wind down and we were having no luck with now four destroyed sledding paths, we moved to the clear path made in front of MJ by the stairs to cardiac hill—in my opinion, the superior sledding location on all of campus.  

A couple nights prior, a few of us, not including myself, had gone down this hill on cardboard that was still sitting by the trash can. I had refused to partake on account that the vehicle it was cardboard, but now equipped with a “sled” in hand, I was down for it.  

After several trips down in every direction on the sled, I can definitively say that sledding down that hill on that Sunday will be one of my fondest memories during my time here at Geneseo.  

This is all a very long story pointing out the childish glee that I have found this winter—not just the joy of sledding, but the friends I share these experiences with. Winter may have sub-zero temperatures, but it is made the warmest of times within out hearts.

Here’s to many more snow packed days on campus and great sledding opportunities!