Snow Week

Time this semester has gone by so fast, but a time that I remember feeling long was the snowstorm in January. It is strange how something that only lasted a week can feel so stretched out in memory, especially now that March is already here. Texas weather is unpredictable, and that week made it obvious. One day it was a normal mild Fort Worth winter, and the next it looked like a winter wonderland.

My friends and I spent the week almost immobile, with the ice preventing us from driving. We would take neighborhood walks, making sure to carefully step and not slip on the ice. Being from Texas and going to school here, my car is part of my everyday life. I am used to getting in it without thinking, driving to run errands, get food, or to see friends. That week, however, my car stayed parked and walking was our only option. 

Reflecting on this time now, I thought of the quote we discussed in class and Abbey's idea that the person who "gets there" the fastest is the one who walks. At first, that idea seems backwards. Walking is obviously slower than driving, and during the storm it definitely felt that way. Everything took more time and more effort. But Abbey’s point is that speed does not equal arrival in a meaningful sense because when we move quickly, we often miss the place itself.

That week, because we had no choice but to walk, I felt more present. I noticed how quiet the neighborhood was without cars on the road. I paid attention to the sound of our footsteps on the ice and the way the trees looked covered in frost. Even though it felt inconvenient at the time, I experienced my surroundings more fully than I usually do when I am in my car. Now the semester feels like its flying by again, especially as a second semester senior. I am going to remind myself to slow down, take more walks, and really experience Fort Worth before I leave.