The snowplow in ecstasy.

Global warming is taking a break and Frau Holle has been working tirelessly in the last few days. The snow has fallen in large quantities and has buried our Fiat Panda, making it look like a mini van. For a moment, my heart skipped a beat as the snowplow raced towards Luigi and recognized the snow pile as a car at the last moment.

It is one of those rare days in winter when I actively deny my friends, especially the bad skiers, and uninvite invited companions. The motto of these days is: No friends on powder days! The only chosen friends are the ones you have to take with you so that they can bring you back to the surface in case of an avalanche. In the pursuit of the best virgin line, you take on animalistic qualities and try to drive away other competitors with angry grunts. Natural needs like having to pee and being hungry are simply ignored. Snot shamelessly runs into your corona face mask and your jaw hurts because you can't stop smiling. Completely soaked, freezing, and relieved that the knee and jaw straps held, you stand under the hot shower in the evening. Your mouth fills with water because the permanent smile still lingers and you feel grateful for a fantastic day.

My teeth-gritting brother says that only a few days like this make life worth living. I vehemently disagree with him because I find this statement too catholic. Life cannot be full of hardships, and paradise can only be found in the afterlife with Peter. It is clear that a day filled with projects and emails is not the same as the boundless ecstasy in the powder snow. But even the shittiest day holds magical moments that should be appreciated. Once again, I agree with my Buddhist friends who say that you should cultivate positive emotions. If you want to know how to increase negative emotions, just sit at a regulars' table with the "you-should-types" for an evening. By showing gratitude, even if it's just for the smile of the bread seller, you nourish your body and mind. However, my exhausted body from the powder snow currently only needs one form of nourishment: greasy and unhealthy food in enormous quantities. I politely thank the cook and the creator. Amen.