The Ides of March and Its Madness

The swift arrival of March was accompanied by a glimmer of longer and warmer days, flowers, vibrant sunsets and the dreaded finals week.  The end of winter quarter always seems to drag on a bit longer than the rest, as does the end of the season.  Finals this quarter were stressful and oddly intense, but we all managed to get to the other side, greeted by the promise of spring break.

Mom decided it was time to get out of the bay for a few days as all of us really needed to step back and relax.  She spearheaded the effort and found a cabin to rent in Tahoe.  So much for a ‘bikinis and beach bags required’ spring break; we packed up snow boots, chains and emergency supplies.

It has been years since we went to the snow and it was Huck’s first time.  The bay was looking at rain for a week straight so the mountains (and thus the Wongs) were prepared for multiple feet of snow.  Soon enough we found ourselves lodged inside a snow-covered cabin.  Huck loved the snow at first sight and found it to be the most novel of treasures.  The immense amount of powder kindly lent itself to a bumbling yellow lab who leapt into and dug out of it—over and over and over again.  The powder was also great for skiing and boarding.  Mom and I went out and enjoyed the soft coating of snow as it protected our bums from any hard falls.

Dad and I played a lot of pool in the cabin with a tired dog at our heels and fresh cookies in the oven.  We even got mom to join in on a few games.

I distinctly remember waking up in the warm, fluffy covers, watching the snow fall outside.  The trees were covered perfectly, like icing on a gingerbread town.  The fireplace was humming softly in the corner and Huck was curled up nearby.  I couldn’t help the smile on my face (it makes me smile even now) as I thought about the perfectly picturesque scene.

I was lucky enough to see all of my friends back home, too, even though we all have different school schedules.  The visits seemed sadly brief, long enough, however, knowing that summer is just around the corner.

The whirlwind spring break is nearing a close as I look out the window of this 747 and see the mountains of central California, some of the higher ones just kissed by the snow.  We should be landing shortly and I will be on my way back to school.  Classes start tomorrow for what looks to be a great quarter.  If it is anything like this spring break, I will be more than happy.

“I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow, and each road leads you to where you want to go” –Rascal Flatts