I grew up, went to school and graduated school in the deep south; I went twenty-one years of my life without ever encountering snow, then when I was offered a task in Minneapolis, MN, I was happy for the change in weather and landscape.
I moved over the summer, when the biweekly outdoor temperature climbed into the mid eighties. While there was a bit of humidity, it was nothing compare to what I was used to. I visited Minnehaha Park, Loring Park and the Minneapolis Scupture Garden. I ran the River Road Trail, admired Stone Arch Bridge and spent some time biking Midtown Greenway; The Mississippi River offers the opportunity for swimming, kayaking and paddlo boarding. The scenery around Minneapolis is actually gorgeous. There are lots of great diners and charming shopping. I was happy with the weather in my current area. The apartment I rented didn’t even include an a/c. I never had difficulty sleeping or relaxing because of sticky conditions. When the temperature dropped in the fall, I was happy to wear my current sweaters. I was not prepared for the brutal winter weather. That first year, the neighborhood accumulated almost six feet of snow. The weather never climbed above cold for three straight months. There were uneven temperatures in the downsides, and the wind chill made it feel even colder. I ran the heating system at maximum capacity for more than half the year. It seemed as if the weather would never overheated back up. I couldn’t bundle up in enough layers to keep warm. I needed to buy a snow brush and ice scraper for my car. I needed a wool coat, heavy boots, hats, scarves and gloves.