After living here for two years, I’ve realized that snow days are much rarer in Portland than they are in Wisconsin. When I was living on campus during non-COVID times, snow days were a fun occasion to relax without classes, have snowball fights with friends, and stay cozy and off the roads. Snow tends to pretty much shut the city down, which is nice in some ways, and frustrating in others. On campus, sometimes the dining hall and buildings have to shut down because none of the off-campus employees can get there!
This time, I’m experiencing pandemic, off-campus snow days. I recently moved from SW to SE Portland, and now that I’m a 20 minute drive from campus, I’m extra careful about planning for travel during times like these. We’ve had a winter weather warning in place since Thursday, and I’m glad that the school decided to close campuses. That means that I won’t be coming to campus for my one in-person class and work at the library until at least Monday. One pro (or con, depending on how you look at it) of virtual learning is that our classes continue online, even if campus is closed. I’ve at least appreciated this for keeping up with my classes!
I haven’t lost power, but this is something that often happens during winter storms. When the snow had just started, I walked to a convenience store nearby to pick up extra canned foods in case I’m no longer able to cook. I also filled up a bunch of jars with water! It looks like the weather will be improving over the next couple of days, so the risk of a power outage has probably passed. But it never hurts to be prepared!
I took my dog Winnie out yesterday, expecting that she wouldn’t want to spend much time in the snow. But she loved it, all she wanted to do was run! I took her to a local park where she could be off-leash and she had a blast running around the park, though in some places the snow was too deep for her, and she would get stuck! I hope that everyone is staying safe and warm during this winter weather.