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As someone who grew up in Ohio I am no stranger to winter. Starting in October and extending at times until March it seemed I was in a constant state of cold. Snow is quite possibly my least favorite thing and the thought of doing anything outside when it is below 45 degrees makes me want curl up in a little ball. Dramatic, I know, but being cold has never been my strong suit. Cue moving to Thomas. I knew that this area was known for their skiing, and tended to be on the snowier side. I wanted to pretend it wasn’t going to happen. Well ladies and gentlemen, it has happened. Upon returning from New Years I was greeted with blistering sub-zero temperatures and heaps of snow. My negative mindset saw this as a terrible thing. The next couple months would involve me staying inside and hiding from the frigid temperatures at all cost.

Then something happened. As I looked out of my window on a particularly cold day, I saw my neighbors skiing down the road! Though bundled as all get out you could tell they were truly enjoying the sunshine the universe had given them. As I tripped begrudgingly attempting to walk downtown I knew I had one of two choices: either I could be miserable all winter and not take advantage of the beautiful landscape, OR I could suck it up, bundle up, and experience a Thomas winter with an open mind. Luckily I chose the latter. After receiving a pair of snow shoes for Christmas I was eager to test them out. So I hopped on over to the Thomas City Park Trails (ones that I have helped build), strapped on the snowshoes, and set off like Yukon Cornelius. I cannot tell you how fun it was traipsing through the snow in my snow boots. It was as though I had entered a snow-globe and I had no desire to get out. I am so glad I decided to not be a salty grinch about the whole winter thing during my time in West Virginia. I am so excited to do more exploring this snowy time of year, and can’t wait to tell you all about my adventures!