Winter Weather Advisory

Winter Weather Advisory: These words have meant lots of different things to me over the years. 

As a child I was excited about getting a day off from school. I remember feeling a sense of wonder at the magic that comes with the first snowfall of winter. I distinctly remember one of the "blizzards" of my childhood where I was able to walk to a friends house to play...so exciting!

Fast forward to the ice storm of 2011. As a grownup there are more responsibilities that come with treacherous weather. I remember the stress thinking my home's pipes could burst. Thanks to my HOA I had a 10-step plan to winterize my house. I don't think i made it through all the steps, but thank goodness my pipes survived! I also had to balance the pressures of going into work with the hazards of driving on icy roads. Luckily I had a friend take me in for a night. So again, like in the blizzard of my childhood, I found myself walking through a winter wonderland for a slumber party. 

Now that I live in Hawaii, winter weather has a whole new meaning. The news reporters are warning of record lows with temperatures dropping to 58 degrees. I haven't seen any snow, but then again, I haven't seen the sun for 4 days because it's been hiding behind clouds. But there's still a magic quality to the Hawaiian winter, with each rainstorm you can expect to see a rainbow!

One thing that I didn't expect about my move was that the words "winter weather advisory" would still cause me to worry. Although I may be thousands of miles away, I worry about my friends and family dealing with the chaos caused by the "blizzard" of 2014. My sister has dubbed it snow apocalypse because of the disasters it caused to Atlanta's roads. While I'm glad that I'm not personally dealing with the snow and ice I hate that I'm not there to help people who were stranded on their way home. I wish I could be bundled up with my family, drinking cocoa, enjoying a day off of school like the old days. 

So to all my friends dealing with the winter weather advisory, know that I am thinking of you and sending thoughts of warmer weather your way!

Mahalo!