"No," Zach says, "Vancouver normally doesn't snow at this time... I'm told this is the first snow of the year."
So here we are the University of British Columbia campus to present for the Tour, and Vancouver is covered in sleet and snow.
I'm normally not a cold weather guy -- not at all -- but I've been skipping around on cloud nine, really enjoying myself with the great group we've got here to present and meet people.
And something dawned on me -- I've been greatly enjoying the snow, in large part because I know it's a passing thing.
We're going southwards from here -- Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles... then into the deserts out at Las Vegas and Austin before heading up the East Coast during the Spring.
Because I know the snow is passing, I'm just enjoying it.
But I thought, how odd! I've got all the capacity to enjoy the snow and cold, but if I knew I was going to be in for a long winter, I'd probably not be enjoying myself.
And there's something there, isn't there? I could enjoy the snow either way. But I do enjoy the snow because I know it's a passing thing. If I thought it wasn't going to pass, I'd probably not be enjoying myself.
And, how much of life is like that? If you're between jobs and have enough savings that it's not an emergency, you probably could enjoy yourself... but it's harder to enjoy yourself if you don't know that it's going to pass and you're going to find work you like.
All sorts of situations that are stressful, confusing, or intense could be very enjoyable if you knew they were going to pass, but when you're not sure -- when you're uncertain -- then things can get yucky or unenjoyable.
But why should they? Does feeling bad in the cold make getting through the winter easier? Does feeling bad in uncertainty make you get to steadier ground faster?
I think not. In all times, there's something to be gotten from the current moment, some enjoyment to be had, some lessons to be taken from it. And, everything does pass. Take from the season what it'll give you... and then hopefully, for all your North Americans, I'll see you somewhere warm soon.
