The Historic Boston Blizzard

Boston Esplanade

You probably all know by now that I was made in Russia (well, technically USSR) and having 30 inches of snow or more was pretty typical for our winter, especially in the region where I grew up (Ural Mountains). So when Boston was pummeled by the blizzard this past weekend and Nemo was the most popular word in my Facebook feed, I had mixed feelings.

For someone who grew up in a place where schools only close when it’s -30C (-22F) outside, having a really white winter is a part of our everyday life. But listening to CNN’s coverage of Nemo and with Governor Patrick declaring state of emergency, I was subject to the same feelings of anxiety and precaution as everyone else in Boston.

What’s most important of course is that everything ended well, and as a bonus, Boston looked pretty impressive covered with all that snow. Venturing out in the city the morning after was so amazing – Boston felt like a ghost town. No cars, no traffic, no noise – just pure nature and ~~unhappy people digging their cars out~~ happy people playing in the snow.

I caught a terrible bug the very next day. Even though I hadn’t felt that sick since high school, it was so worth it to enjoy all that snow! It made me feel like I was in Russia again, and brought back all those childhood memories — when building snowmen and sledding down the hill was a typical Saturday afternoon. So bring it on, weather, let it snow again!