First it was the leaves on the ground, and I expected that in October. I could anticipate that. But then November started. 

I was at my work study job in the GSLC. Through the open doors that let the hallways in, past the three different glass windows that met the Serve, out onto the football field was grass colored white. That’s what it looked like, until Haley Davis said, “Look at all that snow!” I realized the ground wasn’t colored white, it was covered in white. 

The biggest change I will experience being sixteen hours from home is not the lack of southern accents or shortage of sweet tea, but instead the piles of snow to come later this semester. From what I’ve seen looking at the snow we got this week, Iowa is a Mississippi kid’s winter wonderland. 

I went outside after that work study shift and sent a photo to my mom. She replied with “Oh wow. It’s 70 degrees here.” 

A lot of people ask me if I hate the snow yet, and I am so confused as to what there is to hate. We only got a half inch and I was in awe. I’ve been told when it stacks up I’m going to grow sick of it. I don’t see that happening. I’m just excited that for the first time in my life I won’t be scraping up through 2 inches of snow to try and build a snowman. 

“But do you have a winter coat?” 

A what? 

People here set aside one thick coat to use during the winter? 

How does one choose it? Does thickness vary by regions? How many inches should my winter coat be? 

I have a Chicago coat that I bought for a trip during spring break. It got me through a week in the Windy City, so hopefully I’ll survive my first Storm Lake winter in it. 

You guys only get a few snow days here, right? Like a week at the most? 

Hey Siri…call mom.