Winter Paragraph

 Word List

1. shrill
2. ghastly
3. blinding white
4. quiet
5. numb
6. frigid
7. frozen (hair, eyelashes)
8. everything is damp
9. unforgiving
10. cruel nostalgia

New Englanders are either lying to themselves or completely insane. As I struggle through hoards of snow, frigid air filling my lungs, I'm beginning to think that it's the latter. I admit that not being a local affects my opinion, but I simply do not understand how this is enjoyable. My walk to class is quite ghastly, toes going unbearably numb even in proper Winter boots. If I had to give someone advice on how to survive here, I recommend not even bothering to step outside when you are not completely dry. I've lost count of the times that my hair and eyelashes have frozen solid within seconds. But even if you avoid this, there is no avoiding the inevitability of making your entire floor soaked through as soon as you return home. The never ending snow blinds me in the sun, and tortures me in the dark. The wind is shrill, unforgiving, quiet, yet fills my ears. In a way, I understand why New Englanders can thrive here. It's a cruel nostalgia, full of a mix of childhood wonder with a side of back-breaking shoveling work and frozen limbs. So maybe they're not lying, but simply finding joy in an otherwise bleak environment.