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Sometimes it seems as though everyone at Brandeis grew up surrounded by snow while I, the Mexican heat-hater, grew up surrounded by a sunny paradise. The sun—though a natural friend to many—has always served as my everlasting enemy. I, who yearned for cold weather my whole life, have been forced to live in the tropical land that is Mexico where sunny weather is as certain as crazy weather in New England.

When applying to college, my biggest consideration was the weather. If the sun were going to be my companion for more than a few months … let’s just say I wouldn’t have it. So I applied to schools where there would eventually be snow and ignored the remarks of my friends and my family. After all, what could be better for life than an everlasting white landscape?

I was surprised, upon my arrival at Brandeis, to find that snow—a concept as foreign to me as I am to Brandeis—is strongly unwanted by most students. They shriek in horror as I note with extreme excitement that the weather is getting colder every day and that, relatively soon, pretty snowflakes will be falling from the sky.

Hearing the anticipation in my voice, my fellow Brandeisians ask but one question: “You’ve never seen snow before, have you?” to which I’m forced to answer that I have seen snow, but only once, when I was very young, and I can’t remember it very well. They consider my answer for a moment, look at each other with understanding and nod. They always say, “Don’t worry, you’ll hate it in a few months.”

Now, I don’t know if that will be true, all I know is that I want snow so deep that if I drop something in the winter, there will be no hopes of getting it back until the spring.

Sure, with snow I know my addiction to coffee will increase and a hot chocolate addiction will slowly develop, I know I will slip and fall while walking on perfectly smooth surfaces—in funnier, more frequent and more socially acceptable ways than I do now—and I will maybe look like a polar bear walking around campus because, as much as I want it, I’m simply not used to snow.

The only positive comment about snow I’ve heard thus far came from a complete stranger. This week, as I stubbornly tried and failed to pay my cell phone bill online, I accidentally locked my account and had to call a professional for assistance. As he fixed it, and in an attempt to be polite I suppose, he asked me where I was from. I said Mexico and he responded, “That’s very cool.” I agreed and he immediately asked, “Wait, have you ever seen snow?” He then proceeded to relate, in the most animated language, the wonders of snow and snow-related activities. Needless to say, that phone call was very long and my account remained locked for some time after that.

I know that the snow is coming slowly but surely to Brandeis. I know that I won’t be forced to spend the winter away from the fun of snow fights, snowmen, skiing and sledding and that I’ll be able to buy winter clothes and walk around with colorful gloves, hats and scarfs, as I always imagined I would.

With the promise of snow (and hopefully snow days!) comes the promise of a new beginning in my own new world that is Brandeis.

Those who spent their lives surrounded by snow cannot know the eagerness with which I expect it. I simply can’t wait to see North Quad covered in snow; to feel the cold, watery substance melt in my hands; to look out the window and see my most wanted world of white; I just hope my fellow Brandeisians were wrong and that I’ll still feel this way in March.