Today I was excited as I walked away from the center where I teach English and found enough snow to make footprints, but then I was disappointed when I got back to Novoslabodskaya and found little more than a dusting.

I think I would have more patience if I knew that I would have more winters here, but I’m not sure I will. I’m not sure I would want to if the opportunity arose. So, knowing that I’m here for this winter, I want it to be a real winter. I hope if I can’t have piles and piles of snow, we can at least get a day or two of negative thirty.