by Gage Giunta
Did you know that leaves change colors? Well, of course I knew that, but I had never witnessed it with my own eyes before. I’ve lived in Florida my entire life, where it drops below 50° for only a week of the year. In fact, as I write this, it’s above 80° in my hometown while it’s below 30° here in Pittsburgh. It has been quite the adjustment so far. I’m hoping I’m prepared with my new boots, thermal socks, long johns, Carhartt jacket, gloves, and beanies. Even with all of this warm gear, my face still freezes on my walk to class. Even after I’ve had my morning coffee, I buy another coffee every day just to warm my hands up before class. I haven’t been faring well. It has become the usual to greet my classmates with “I thought they were going to cancel school today” or “where’s global warming when you need it?” I continue to hear horror stories of people hitting ice in their cars while driving downhill, but they always seem to end with “but my brakes finally caught traction at the bottom of the hill just seconds before I crashed.” But what if they don’t!? I wish I had a self-driving car so I could keep my hands over the vents for heat while I drive. And don’t even get me started about chapstick. As I’m continuously told that winter hasn’t even arrived yet, I think it’s safe to say that I am not a fan of the cold, until it started snowing.
The night before I flew home for Thanksgiving break it began to snow. I’ve only seen snow twice and the second time was a little over ten years ago. The second I saw it begin to fall, I ran outside barefoot without a jacket on. Suddenly, it didn’t seem so cold. Within moments I was crafting snowballs and pitching them against the garage. It felt like I was in elementary school again. With a smile on my face, I began to appreciate the cold. As long as it snows everyday, I think I’ll make it out alive.
One-Year MBA 