Lake Effect Snow

On a time-crunch. I had a full day of clinic patients. Determined to finish on time, I was focused, paid attention to my patients’ needs, discussed and addressed them, and moved on. As soon as I was done with clinic, I went home, quickly decontaminated myself, finished packing my bag, and left for Buffalo. It was around 7 pm. The drive from Long Island to Buffalo was about 6.5 hours without traffic. We were taking our daughter there for a swim meet.

Buffalo – the place my husband and I met. The place I spent several years of my life. Many memories, love, sweat and tears. I didn’t mind so much the cold and lake effect snow then. I still remember it would snow in October and May sometimes. Someone once told me there were two seasons in Buffalo – winter and construction. Snowing 6-18 inches was a regular weather pattern. It was not an issue. All snow ploughs and sanding machines would come out of nowhere, populate all roads big and small, and the roads would be safe to drive in no time. School kids in the Buffalo area usually do not get snow days; they do when there is over 6 feet of snow.

When I first moved from Buffalo to Long Island, I wondered why the news seemed to be overly concerned about 6 inches of snow. There were announcements of certain schools closing, and the whole town seemed to be in a high alert mode. Not before long, I found out that since there is less snow in general, this area is not as well equipped with snowfall. The major highways and main roads are usually ploughed, but many smaller roads and residential areas are not cleared promptly. As a result, some people, especially those parked on the streets, are left with digging out their cars.

Other than the freezing temperatures, the gusty winds and the oh-so predictable inches of snow, Buffalo is a very nice city. There is usually no traffic. It is easy to get to places, as long as you have a car. People in general are friendly. There are many good schools here, and it is a great place to race a family. Everything is relative, and there is nothing 100% good or bad. It is a choice of what positive things you choose and what negative features you can tolerate.

I choose to be in the New York City area, living in the suburbs of Long Island, to be close to my husband’s family and our friends. The grass is often greener on the other side. I made this decision and I am making this the best decision I made.