Why I Live Here

This past fall my husband and I went to visit some old friends who live in Virginia.  We started talking about the climate in Virginia, taxes, lifestyle etc. and the discussion inevitably came up about the Upstate New York climate and particularly - snow.  I will never forget the look on my friend's face when I described the snowfall we sometimes get, and the conditions in the winter and he asked, "so why do you live there?"

Why do I live here?  That is a good question given that tomorrow they are predicting a high of 3 degrees Fahrenheit. I answered my friend, "I don't know".  But really I do.  I know when I go out my back door and head to the farm fields behind our development to cross country ski and see the bright blue skies and the sunlight glittering on the snow like a crystal chandelier.  I know when I swim in the summer in water so calm and with a temperate so non-existent that you feel like you are swimming in nothing, as if your body is just gliding along without any resistance.  I know when I walk in the woods that are so plentiful around here and feel all of my senses come alive to the sounds of water, birds, and air.

It may be that wherever we live, we all share similar experiences and a sense of place.  For me, I have decided that this is the place I want to experience.