No Winter Wonderland.

Dark.

Cold.

Quiet.

I was seven when I had my first snow day.

It was so intriguing to me - I had never experienced such a thing before.

I sat up in my bed. Looked around. Just the smallest hint of light peaked through my curtain. I called for my parents. Neither responded. Suddenly I was scared. I didn’t know what was happening. My parents were always up early and always before me. I called once more. I heard my mom get out of her bed down the hall. She came into my room and sat on my bed.

She asked what was wrong and I told her nothing; I was just confused. Why are we still at home? I have to leave for the bus at 6 am. It’s usually dark outside. Why wasn’t it dark outside? I voiced my 7-year-old concerns to my mother.

A snow day, she told me. A snow day? I know it’s snowing but why aren’t I getting ready for school? A snow day, she had said, is when it snows so bad that the roads aren’t safe to drive on. If the roads aren’t safe to drive on, there’s no way to get to school - or work. So my parents would stay home too.

I was ecstatic. I never got to be around both of my parents at once. My dad went to work at 2 pm and worked until 11 pm. I was at school until after he left for work and I was asleep by the time he got home. I only got to see him in the mornings before I left for school. So I would get to spend a whole day with him and my mom? It sounded perfect!

I went back to sleep. I got to sleep until 10 am. Then I got up and my dad made us pancakes. I didn’t particularly like pancakes. But today was such a new and exciting day, I decided it would be best to just eat them.

Then, I went to our little box of winter stuff. I loved opening up this box. Getting to pick out which pair of little gloves complimented the latest hat knitted by my aunt. Getting to choose if I wore gloves at all, or if instead, I would wear the fancy mittens. I always liked wearing mittens when I planned to be outside for a long time. I pulled on my little blue gloves until they perfectly enveloped my hands in warmth. Then on came my jacket, my scarf, coat, and hat. Sometimes, even earmuffs, if I was really feeling ambitious that day. I was. We pulled out the whole artillery. I was ready for the winter wonderland of my dreams. I would finally get to build a snowman, and maybe even an igloo. I had on enough layers, I could stay outside for a really long time!

I’m finally finished suiting up. I open the wooden door. I’m so excited! I reach the end of my enclosed porch and open the metal door. Then what to my wondering eyes should appear but... Nothing! There was no snow!