53 Comments
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DenizB33's avatar

This is actually why I love living in the valley in Switzerland -- if we want snow, we just have to drive 10 minutes up into the mountains! And I love snow, but I don't miss the October to May endless winters in Montreal 🤣

Michael Jensen's avatar

Great idea -- if we could afford Switzerland!

DenizB33's avatar

I'm not ready to face this problem after retirement yet 😭

Alex B's avatar

Plus one for the endless winter innMontreal😒 and this year we won the prize of “by far the coldest in 28 years” 🏆

DenizB33's avatar

We visited over the holidays for the first time in years, and as my nose and cheeks and fingers and toes all froze, I remembered how demoralising it all is 😭

Not when on vacation or if you're retired or live in the country, and maybe less now, when working from home exists. But before, enforced 9 to 5, in the dark and cold, in wind tunnels in the city... Those were the awful bits!

Michael Jensen's avatar

Yup! That slog from January 2 to spring is the killer!

Pamela Marshall's avatar

It's been insanely cold here in New York as well. 🥶🥶🥶

Alex B's avatar

Come spend the month of January or February in Montréal, that’ll heal your love of snow for good 🤣 Seriously, I understand it, especially the first snow. That’s why I’m planning a 3 week ish break during holidays to come back, get a glimpse of this winter that I appreciate to sample, and socially recharge before heading for 3-4 months somewhere warmer, in my semi Nomadic upcoming lifestyle

Michael Jensen's avatar

I think that's an excellent idea!

Annette Laing's avatar

Um, Wisconsin? 😀

Michael Jensen's avatar

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Chris the Nomad's avatar

It's our first winter away from the Northwest. Of course, we are excited to be away from the grey, rain, and snow. We've spent the winter in Madeira and I'm loving sunshine and temps in the 60's. At some point I'll probably miss the snow but right now, I'm loving a warmer winter!

Michael Jensen's avatar

Oh man, I bet a Madeira winter is wonderful!

Todd Takes Pictures's avatar

Southern California, or here in Arizona provide some great locations for driving up a mountain to spend an afternoon in the snow, then driving back to down to sunny 60 degree weather the next day.

Michael Jensen's avatar

That sounds PERFECT!

DR Darke's avatar

My Grandma told me that when I was growing up I HATED the snow, so she was surprised when I moved from Southern California to New York City, where...it snows.

Sometimes, it snows a LOT, like a few weeks back when it took two weeks for my street, which is not a main street, but certainly a significant one that runs from the far side of Jersey City paralleling Hoboken, to a town I didn't know existed called Guttenberg (spelled like the actor, not the Bible).

Now I get to find someplace to wash my car, which is FILTHY!

Michael Jensen's avatar

That sounds fun for...a little while. 🤣🤣

Pamela Marshall's avatar

This has been an extraordinary year for snow in New York. We used to get heavier snowfalls like this every few years... But I've chatted with a bunch of friends and it's been well over a decade since we've had snow like this... And probably 2 decades since we had the whole winter of nonstop snow.

Michael Jensen's avatar

I wouldn't mind a few weeks of that! 😎😎

Pamela Marshall's avatar

There's many places that aren't as expensive as Switzerland and Montreal that have snow... Maybe check out Vermont or Maine. Or northern New York...Ithaca is "Gorges" (So many amazing hikes nearby including Watkins Glen). Or Lake George. Woodstock is just down the road from me at the foot of the Catskills.

You can find your snow and you don't have to pay a fortune for it.

Michael Jensen's avatar

Absolutely more affordable. The question is how long we stay to make sure it snows, plus then having to fly away to somewhere warmer.

Pamela Marshall's avatar

You will definitely get snow in Maine and Vermont. And honestly, Ithaca as well because of lake effect snow. Woodstock can definitely be a little bit more hit or miss, but we got hammered this year. We've had a good a foot of snow on the ground for nearly a month now.

Michael Jensen's avatar

A month of that sounds really fun!

KLARC71's avatar

As a fellow Nomad I feel the exact same way, however cold is a part of it. Where I live it gets crazy cold. LOL! 😆😅

Michael Jensen's avatar

Snow, yes. Crazy cold, no!!! Okay, maybe Norway...

Skylar Renslow's avatar

It's been promising rain here for two weeks now and absolutely nothing, so I hope Mother Nature obliges!

Kate McDermott's avatar

Snow down to the foothills this morning in Port Angeles!

Jenn H's avatar

Visit mountains in the early summer. It'll be 70 degrees out, but the winter snow won't have melted yet. I still remember my joy at finding snowfields in Montana and Washington in summertime!

Lisa McMann's avatar

Okay, got it--snow, not too much, not too cold, don't mess with Hawaii.

Have you spent any time in Alaska?

Michael Jensen's avatar

Also, WATCH YOUR TONE!!!

Lisa McMann's avatar

Hey listen, YOU prayed to ME. I'm just trying to please all the Karens out there with their demands.

Michael Jensen's avatar

HAVE I SPENT TIME IN ALASKA?!?!

I have. Definitely more than most.

KC's avatar

I’d love to spend some time in Port Townsend each year but rentals seem hard to find. Curious how you arranged your part time condo situation?

Michael Jensen's avatar

We're lucky enough to have a timeshare we inherited from Brent's dad that we can use every year.

Carol's avatar

I love how you phrase it as following spring. We are often asked how we choose our destinations, and people are surprised that our first criteria is weather. Our target conditions are 60 degrees F and sunny-ish, not to hot and not to cold. Goldilocks weather.

Michael Jensen's avatar

I like up into the 70s but once it hits 80, I start to wilt!

Valerie Starr's avatar

Love your snow stories! I love the quiet a good snowfall forces upon us . What I don’t love is icy winter 🥶 mix! Or the ugly gray and muddy hard slush period. Grilled cheese and tomato soup here I come!

Michael Jensen's avatar

Yeah, the ice really sucks. During that freezing weather in Helena I slipped on the ice and smacked my head.

Toni Brayer's avatar

Somehow I don’t picture you two as”cruisers”. That’s a surprise.

Michael Jensen's avatar

We get that a lot! I like them but Brent loves them. Also, a great way to travel between continents!