Snowed Out

February 10, 2026

Writer: Ivette Flores

Editor: Jasmine Rad

For a whole week, I checked the weather app daily. All I hoped was that the forecast would be true – snow in Austin.

When the first few flakes fell from the sky on that cold and windy Friday night, I instantly saw people leave their warm apartments and head outside. From my window, I watched people running in the streets, twirling and dancing, or simply looking up at the sky and letting the flakes melt away. I quickly put on my coat, and as soon I stepped outside, I saw everyone’s faces beaming with happiness.

The next day, snowmen popped up around campus, and we turned our streets into playgrounds. We had snowball fights, went sledding down hills we usually only drive through, and played until our fingers went numb. For a few moments, the pressure of deadlines, projects, and responsibilities faded into the background. It was a time when many of us were able to press pause on our “adult” lives and allow ourselves to be kids again.

During those days, my inner child felt radiant and light – and it left me wondering how I could keep her that way, even as the city returned to its usual rhythm. I began to think about why it took something so rare to give myself permission to play, and how often I forget that joy doesn’t need a special occasion. Perhaps that playful part of us never truly fades – it waits patiently inside, quietly holding the joy we sometimes forget we carry.