Portland, OR, 2023
But when I thought about it again, I realized that I don’t hate night, cold, or snow themselves, but I don’t like having to go through my daily school, work, and life as if the conditions were no different from a warm area, even though winter is much harsher. In many parts of the northern U.S., winter doesn’t really change the rhythm of daily life, but it probably should. It seems like the system isn’t designed to acknowledge the reality of winter, as it expects people to keep going as usual. And this makes me uncomfortable, depressed, and frustrated.
You know, in places like DC or Maryland, even a tiny light snowfall can trigger tons of weather warnings, and schools and offices will close for days. But in Syracuse, the university never closes even during a real snowstorm. When many people say they would get depressed living in the polar night, what they really mean is living in the polar night while still working and functioning like normal. They are not talking about living in a way that actually adapts to the polar night and people embrace the natural rhythm of extended darkness. The struggle comes from trying to maintain a “normal” schedule in an environment that isn’t normal at all.
Series
Boston Juxtaposition
Eternal Spring
Dobbs v. Jackson
Landscapes
Color of Night
People & Artifacts
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