Before I accepted my assignment in Virginia, I asked about snow during the winter. The Medical Director assured me not to worry. She told me that it rarely snowed near Virginia Beach, and if it did, the entire city would shut down.
Coming from Florida, I prefer to be as warm as possible. I have seen snow several times before, but have never been a fan. Perhaps it is because snow is cold, wet, and dangerous to drive in.
When I made it safely into the New Year without snow, I believed I was impervious. The year prior, I had completed my Washington State assignment the day before it snowed!
Shortly after, a winter storm from the west was making its way to the east coast. The city became chaotic as everyone prepared for the storm. It reminded me of Florida during hurricane season.
It had snowed all night that Friday. When I awoke the following morning, I actually enjoyed the snow. The snow was powdery and soft, unlike snow I have seen before. It snowed half of the day, which was pretty neat since I have only seen snow on the ground, not coming from above.
When it finally stopped snowing, my car was completely covered. It took quite a while for me to dig it out of snow. I thought to myself – I do not see myself doing this everyday. I also wondered how people lived in the North East and Midwest where it snowed often.
The following day, the sun came out but it was still quite colder than usual. The snow started to melt, leaving an icy and slippery road. I did not leave my apartment all weekend, as I have never driven in snow, and did not want to get into an accident. Work was cancelled for Monday because the roads were still bad. Since we do not get snow that often, there is no infrastructure in place to clear up the roads when we do.
My co-workers were super sweet, as many of them checked in on me over the weekend to make sure I was okay. Other than a hint of cabin fever, I survived my first time living in snow!
