a wonderful warm winter day

As far as I'm concerned, today was the first real day of winter. While I am sure I will be ready for the sun again in several weeks, today I ushered in a new season with open arms.

This morning, my alarm sounded and I had the luxury of snuggling in my bed a few extra minutes before stepping onto my heated floor (something I love dearly about Korean apartments). I made myself a cup of tea and lingered in my pajamas as I gathered my things for the day. As I glanced out my window, something I rarely do with a college dorm 5 feet away, I was pleasantly surprised to find snow flurries dancing about busily in lieu of the glare of my neighbor's television screen. I quickly dressed for church and rushed outside, afraid the moment of winter fun would pass. The Californian in me still gets giddy about snow, even when it melts on impact.

For the last few months, I have been attending a new church group. There are about 15 of us who gather weekly at a coworker's apartment and hold a church service together. I love the family atmosphere and the genuine desire for spiritual growth in the group. This morning the Willoughby kids had prepared a drama to go with the message and Heather had made us delicious homemade cinnamon rolls. Both were wonderful touches to an already positive morning. Follow up church with a bowl of one of my favorite Korean soups (duk-gook) and conversations with two of my closest friends here...a perfect morning.

I spent the afternoon doing things around the house I had been putting off all week (like cleaning). While these tasks were not exciting, I was glad to ignore work and do some things for myself. I made it outside to play soccer for awhile and laughed to myself as I put on my winter hat that the girls always tease me about. While I was disappointed at first that no one else showed up for our usual Sunday scrimmage, perhaps lingering indoors instead of embracing the sudden onset of winter, I enjoyed working out for an hour on my own in the crisp winter air.

This evening I decided that the morning's snow flurries justified putting up my Christmas decorations. I pulled out my tree, fixed my ridiculous reindeer's broken leg, dangled ornaments from the doorways, and strung lights. I also downloaded some new Christmas CDs and blared them through my apartment as I danced about between the rooms, adding little holiday touches here and there.

Now, I get to sit on my heated floor, drink yet another cup of tea, and soak in the Christmas cheer of my cozy abode. Ah, winter. Welcome ^.^