It was last year, 5th of October where I have experienced my first snow. Coming from a tropical country, where there is only sunshine and rain, I was eager to experience and touch it. When I have seen the snow falling from my window, I recall I was rushing outside the door to catch some snow which I only have seen on big screen, television and even included in the lyrics of a song. Seeing it in real and touching it felt magical. The snow was not a lot back then but to experience it first time made it really special. In the article by Crouch & Desforges (2003), the authors stated that it is a sensual experience (snow) of the world is something which we cannot avoid and is part of our ongoing lives, yet it is also something that is shaped by both the interrelationships of our everyday lives and the internal workings of a body that we own but do not wholly ‘control’.
On 7th of October, the snow was thick enough that we decided to go for a hike. Seeing the rocks, the ground, the falls freezing and the trees covered with snow was astounding, it felt like I was inside a snow globe. I tried to catch the snow and concentrate on looking how intricate the shape of snow is. In my mind, I was thinking, if only I had a magnifying glass or a tool that could magnify its delicate details, but it started to melt right away. So I just kept looking at it in amazement and continue to be astonished.
Continuing our hike, our footsteps were muffled by snow which produced a new sound that I was not used to hearing whenever we step on the ground with an abundant snow. While walking,
we found a thick layer of snow on a flat ground and together with friends, we made snow angels just to experience how it felt, like in the movies. Our ignorance created a feeling of bliss and giddiness. I remember the voices of our laughter and the coldness that we felt but still, we continued what we were doing just for the fun of it. We even tried eating snow just to know how it tasted and felt like. We have managed to use all our senses to experience snow.
Comparing the snow from the first time I have experienced it and the year after, I still get amazed by how it looked, sounded and felt but staying outside for a longer period felt like my hands and toes were freezing to the inside of my bones.
Reflecting on this, the duration of my entire stay in Alta, snow is a love and hate relationship depending on the circumstance. Although, I really enjoy the aesthetics in a snow covered place, wearing appropriate clothing for the weather is a bit tedious and the occasional slips and fall is inevitable which is a downside, but nevertheless makes me still enjoy snow.