Growing up in an island, one of 7,107 in fact, I never had the opportunity to experience snow. Although I was a frequent traveler, my adventures never seemed to coincide with the season of ice. Thus, one of the draws to living in Berlin was the fact that I would finally have my chance to revel in this hyped up seasonal experience. As much as I would like to say that I was immune to the dictates of Western media, I am not. My favorite childhood memories in the Philippines included going up to the mountains of Baguio and having my parents light up the fireplace; where I believed, like many, that Santa, in all his pot-bellied wonder, would slide (struggle?) down from and leave me presents. With holiday cartoons and cards depicting reindeers in the snow, silly snowmen, and even snowflakes surrounding baby Jesus (it doesn't snow in Bethlehem/Palestine!); the goal of snow became top priority. One of my goals is to be knee-deep in snow and watch the glowing lights parade through the sky.

It snowed last Saturday. The first snow of the season. I missed it. As life had become a series of routines(which can be a tad depressing for a traveler, I unwisely opted to indulge my meloncholic state of mind and stay at home. The rain began and I heard a the wind banging against the window. I did not bother to look out. The next day, my friend from Frankfurt called and asked, "How was your first experience of snow?" My irritated reply was "What? Where? When?" I thought I was going to faint.

The week flew by, without a single snowflake. I could not believe my horrible sense of timing. Sinking deeper into a sense of despair-from being confused about what I was doing with my life to feeling like my career was going nowhere-I was ready to pack my bags. It began to snow. Life can certainly surprise you. The window began to fog and then I saw the white cotton slowly drop from the sky. Could it be? Is it...? It was! It It felt like a gift. I giggled like a six-year old and almost jumped out the window in glee. I stuck my hand out to feel its fresh iciness and reveled in its magic. It was, as every cheesy American holiday movie described, a time of pure enchantment.

Next stop...Iceland!
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