When I officially decided to come to Princeton, one of the many reasons backing up my decision was the chance of me regularly seeing snow… real snow. As a South Carolinian, I had always pictured a Northeastern winter as a frosty paradise, boasting the aesthetics of all the classic Christmas movies, like icy crystals gracefully falling around every street corner and layers and layers of thick wintry clothing. So, as you can imagine, experiencing my first snowfall at Princeton was very special.
A week or two before returning from winter break, I heard some news that left me in a funny state of ambivalence: Princeton had just been greeted by Jack Frost. Blair Arch was transformed into an ice castle, and a shimmery arctic blanket covered Cannon Green. Now, I was ambivalent because I felt high amounts of both thrill and concern as a result of such news. Thrill because, obviously, snow is dope, especially to a Southerner; concern because, obviously, snow does not stick around forever. On my way back to Old Nassau, I just crossed my fingers in hopes that there would be some inches of frozen fluff awaiting me.
Well, I can assure you I was not disappointed. Upon setting foot back on campus, I was immediately taken away by the beauty of the snow paired with the beauty of Princeton — and slapped in the face by a blast of cold air! Though the clock had just struck 9:00 p.m. and I had a duffel bag, suitcase, and backpack I was lugging around, I could not resist walking around campus and embracing its glacial grandeur, having seldom seen anything like it at home.
With all my belongings with me, I headed over to McCosh Courtyard, East Pyne, and of course, Nassau Hall. Everything was so serene, and as ironic and corny as it sounds, though my hands were freezing from taking so many pictures, I felt so warm.
As I stood surrounded by a sea of snow in front of Nassau Hall, I was simply overwhelmed with gratitude. Reflecting on my journey up to that moment, all I could do was give thanks to the Lord for allowing me to come to such a beautiful school.
And the best part is that even when all the snow melts away, Princeton will still be beautiful, not just because of its naturally stunning architecture, but because of its people. The people I have met at this school truly are and will always be its most beautiful aspects to me. In fact, as I gathered my belongings and started making my way to my dorm from Nassau Hall, I ran into one of my closest friends, who was heading toward Nassau Street. Having not seen each other in over a month, we shared a big hug. A friendship like that will always be more beautiful to me than any snowy landscape — but the snow is always a nice sight to see!
Needless to say, I am very grateful for my first snowfall at Princeton and all the different forms of beauty this school radiates, and I know there is snow much more to come!