With most trees bare and the temperature dropping further every day, it’s safe to say autumn is at its close and winter’s on the horizon. This year, the anticipation for snow is building as we slip on our gloves and wrap our scarves—once, then twice—tightly around our necks. Our hats are snugly fit on our heads and our breath fogs with every breath we take, but when’s the first snowfall of the season going to appear?

Hopefully soon, but before it does, allow me to explore how we can really appreciate the first snowflakes’ fall.

Before you get into the fanciful moments of a snow-ridden land, we have to finish the technical first. You need to ready your shovel, ice scraper, salt to melt the ice, and maybe even a snow blower. Your jacket must be zipped up or buttoned in full and your boots’ laces must be double-knotted before you leave to explore the winter wonderland. Also, don’t forget to wear thick, woolen socks in case your boots get soaked through.

Once you’ve peeked past the curtains in your room and admired the bright white view, you’re ready to venture outside. Open your front door and take that first, satisfying step and listen to the crunch of fresh snow beneath your boots’ bottoms. Then, take your second, your third, fourth, fifth and so on, before welcoming the nostalgia of your childhood.

Make snow angels, build snowmen, have a snowball fight and build an ice fort (but don’t forget to clear the sidewalk and your driveway). Feel your gloves get wet, the cold of the wind in your hair, and the sting of snow as it hits you in the face. The untroubled world of youth is yours for the day.

When the day is soon to come to an end, you’re tired, and the sidewalk and driveway are cleared, head back inside. Glance back toward your footsteps and recount the day’s events, and remember the feelings of happiness and contentment that the first snow day of the season has brought you. Remember the snow angel you made right on the front yard? The snowman still standing tall a few feet away? The snowball fight you had with some friends and family? How about the snow fort that collapsed at one point during all that fun you were having? It was definitely a great day.

Once inside, take off your gloves, your jacket, your boots, your hat, and your scarf and leave them to dry. If you still feel the chill in your bones, take a warm shower and let yourself adjust to the heat. Afterwards, go to the kitchen and finish the day with hot chocolate and some marshmallows while you watch a Christmas movie on TV.

Oh, that one’s on tonight? I remember watching that when I was just a kid!