I’ve never liked snow; that’s what growing up in a tropical climate like Florida with a parent from the Caribbean will do to you. I’ve always seen it as a nuisance, something that slows you down and results in the hem of your pants constantly being soaked. And my mom raised me to desperately avoid it. But I’ve always known that most of the action for the US was up in the Northeast, particularly the District. So I headed to the cold of New England for college, and then to the mid-Atlantic to begin my post-college life. This weekend, I warmed up to the thought of snow.

On weekday snowfalls in the District, I become panicked at the thought of driving from Adams Morgan to Tyson’s Corner for work. How will a Floridian handle ice on windy Rock Creek Parkway? Are my regular tires even fit for thoughts of winter? If I start to skid, do I turn in or out (turn in, turn in!)? Even more terrifying is the thought of District-and-surrounding-area drivers, who forget how to drive during any sort of inclement weather, including a light dusting of snow or a light rain shower. I’ve never seen as many ambulances as on the Beltway during a November rain; one is exponentially safer driving in Florida during a torrential downpour. I attribute the prevailing calmness to flat surfaces and never-ending warmth.