All my life, I've lived in tropical places - California, India, and Texas. So, when it was time to choose a college, I thought it would be interesting to pick a place with a more different weather pattern. A weather pattern that wouldn't be as sweaty or hot in general, but by the time winter rolled by in Champaign, Illinois, it was much more than I could ever ask for. It's my second winter in Illinois now, and it feels warmer than ever.

From the fuzzy sweaters and socks to the hot cocoa, the cold really brings people together and it's a magical thing to see. I look around me, in the dead of the winter, and I see the snow sparkle in the sunlight, I see couples and friends snuggling each other for bodily warmth, I see warm socks, and comfort food. Winter, to me, is a magical wonderland of white fairy dust falling from the sky, where people are more important to each other, and emotions are elevated. It's a time of joy, and I know it's been said before, but it really is the most wonderful time of the year.

One of my favorite sights in the winter is the way freshly powdered snow glistens under a streetlight. And when you live in a small town like I do, you are blessed with this sight more often than you deserve it. There is magic in the air, and a feeling of serenity when one second you're indoors, with warm coffee and eggnog, and the next moment you open up a world outside of a majestic white blanket.

Frosty mornings and magnificent sights make winter the most magical time of the year and I'm so thankful for these next few months of warm hugs, still air, and all the wonderful ways to keep myself warm.