You know for a fact that something isn’t right when you get the opportunity to run outside in a t-shirt and jeans on the first day of January, screaming “It’s a shorts day!,” and your sister agrees. I’m a warm kind of girl; I like hot temperatures. When I was in Florida last April, it was in the high 90s, and that was amazing. The normal coldness of Pennsylvania is not my cup of tea. This year has been different though; it’s been…comfortable. For 2011 and 2012, winter so far has been strange–warm, to a degree, and snow-less. We have only gotten snow twice since the unofficial winter season began, and it hasn’t stuck for more than three days; it turns to slush before we even get the chance to play in it. I’d rather not play in the snow per se, but I love to sled ride. Of course, the snow has not been deep enough to sled ride. When we finally think it has, it turns to that gross, icy slush that tries to kill many victims that cross its path. The not-deep-enough-snow-for-sled-riding may be pretty to look at for all of 10 minutes, and then the harsh reality of bitter winds and frozen windshields sets in. How is that worth the prettiness? Oh wait, it’s not. Luckily enough though, that hasn’t happened too often this year, due to the lack of snow. But the reality does set in at awful times. What’s even worse about our crazy winter is driving in it. I’m eligible for my license soon, and this is my first winter driving. No snow, no problem, right? Wrong. This thing called “ice” strikes at the worst times. The ice and slush mix with the salt from the usually failed attempts of salting the roads, making conditions kind of nerve-wracking for novice drivers. The slide out of the driveway begins the frightful journey. For many high school Juniors and Seniors, driving has become a necessity. I’ve seen how scary driving home can be in these crazy conditions. I spend most of my life at Freedom, and when I get the wonderful opportunity to leave, it is still terrifying as my dad’s truck skids down Route 68. I could never imagine driving to and from school, like some students do, when The Weather Channel calls for eight inches. I would be terrified and joyfully ride the bus, which feels like a punishment most days. I remember last year when we had two feet of snow, but school wasn’t cancelled. The roads were covered with snow and ice, and Freedom neglected to have a two-hour delay or cancellation. I could barely walk across the road to get on my bus without falling, which I failed at doing. When it comes down to it, I personally hate the snow. Although, it was depressing to see a green Christmas; it didn’t feel like Christmas. It just felt like an ordinary day; nothing too special. It’s like the song ‘I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.’ We all dream of having one day of snow for Christmas because it brings back those childhood memories of loving snow. But I’ll take what we’ve gotten because I’m certainly not complaining. I’ll take a green Christmas and a shorts day in January over the blizzard we had last year, when it was hazardous just walking down the driveway.