Winter Break #2: three snow days in a row!

It's probably the nicest thing ever to have a second winter break. But not at home where relaxation is different. A winter break at college with all of your college friends, where you are all snowed in together.

It started with about a 2-inch sheet of ice on Monday. Many students commented that we "ice-skated" to class, as shoes slid down any tiny hill. On the way to my 9 a.m. class, I saw six people fall before I got out of Greektown (where I live on campus). The conditions were dangerous and below is the house parking lot.

I scraped the ice off of my car before the snow came to avoid future scraping troubles, and here is how it appeared through the driver's seat window!
The University of Missouri is very hesitant to cancelling school, so it was a huge shocker when classes were called off for Tuesday "in anticipation" of a snowstorm. In fact, it didn't begin snowing until around 4 a.m. on Tuesday morning, and this is what it looked like when I woke up (at noon). The snow totaled 17.7 inches by the end of the "blizzard," and to a Chicagoan or someone on the east coast, that might not seem like much. But Missouri was in a "state of emergency" and the National Guard was called in. There is no budget for more plows or salt. So it is definitely an experience to watch a disaster happen that while in larger cities can be easily taken care of, it cannot be the case here.

By Tuesday evening, the streets had somewhat been plowed, but since Missouri isn't accustomed to plowing like Chicago, they put a barrier of snow in the middle of the street. This is Maryland/Tiger Avenue. The city of Columbia only has 18 snow plows for a town of 100,000 people and many streets (more than Jefferson City, who has more plows than us). Therefore, it was nice that something was taken away from the last snowstorm and the streets were plowed less than 72 hours after it snowed!

Kathryn, me, Talia, Shaina and Laura meeting up to reduce everyone's cabin fever
Playing Catchphrase!
Snow day #2: Wednesday. After sitting inside all of Monday and Tuesday, it was finally time to brave the weather and take a walk. Amy and I walked around campus, and surprisingly enough, saw many other small groups of friends doing the same. Everyone was so sick of their own homes and being locked in that they were bonding over the need to get out.

It was adorable. Normally during the winter, people refuse to go on walks or be outside because "it's too cold." But regardless of the almost negative weather, everyone was happy. There was nothing TO stress about. We had the opportunity to pause life for three straight days and ignore every meeting, appointment or class that was scheduled. So it made me very joyous to see that many students on the MU campus going on walks and enjoying time with their friends--because that's hard to plan during the semester.

Here's me and my car as we start the walk!
A hole by Memorial Union

At the Heidelberg with Emilia and Alex for a late-night hang-out...on a weeknight!

Snow day #3: Shaina and Amy picked up Kate, Kathryn to buy supplies and bake at Respect! Upon arriving at Hyvee, we saw in the parking spot next to us that one car pulled a little too far forward. Look at all that snow!
Here's the five of us in the Respect kitchen where we made Tollhouse cookies and brownies! Although we were missing Laura, it was nice to catch up and relax stress-free!

Essentially, the last three days has been a nice break from the norm and its own winter break in Columbia on campus! I got ahead on work, was productive with homework, scrapbooking and television, and now get to enjoy the WEEKEND! I hope the snow hasn't been quite as bed wherever you are and if it was, that you enjoyed this little vacation!