The Life Lesson Storm Jonas Taught Me

The current time is 9:17pm on a Saturday night. It has been snowing nonstop since noon yesterday. I think all my wishes that winter just not happen on the East Coast have been dismissed, because winter has most definitely arrived. Living in Washington DC means I have been in the eye of the storm since it began, with CNN covering our city around the clock. To kill time I've watched about every YouTube video in my queue, learned all the lyrics to Selena Gomez's new album and have eaten an embarrassing amount of Doritos.

If you know me at all, you know that I was born and raised in sunny California, meaning I have no clue on how to deal with a record breaking snowstorm. The California native in me panicked when I heard the first snowfall estimate, and my nervous self ran to the grocery store to stock up on just about everything. After waiting in line to pay for over forty five minutes my patience had absolutely melted away and I found myself sending bitchy texts to just about everyone back on the West Coast. It wasn't until my walk home that I realized what an asshole I was being. Yes me, and everyone else who has the nerve to complain about a few feet of snow falling on the ground.

Storm Jonas thought me a lot more than how to prepare for the unexpected. Beyond the importance of having flashlights and bottled water is a lesson I don't think many people are realizing. We all find ourselves complaining about the long lines at the grocery store and terrible commute home, but how many of us pause to be thankful about the fact that we have a home to drive to that's full of warm clothing and full pantries?

I'm sitting here in my overpriced apartment, pumping the heat while painfully annoyed with all the people on Instagram bitching about the metro being shut down and their favorite brunch spot being closed. Living in a city that caters to the needs of rich politicians and ignorant twenty somethings is hard enough to put up with most days, but especially during times like this when you cant help but worry about the thousands of people who live on the street. Snow or no snow.

Practicing thankfulness throughout this blizzard because while being snowed in sucks, I have a warm home and cabinets full of food. No whining here. ☃

A photo posted by Rubi (@whenlifegivesyourubi) on Jan 23, 2016 at 2:15pm PST

So before you complain about how tired you are of sitting inside all day and hashtag your photos #snowmaggedon, quit your whining and maybe use this time to sort through your closet for warm clothes to donate. I may whine about things more often than not, but this weekend I have nothing to complain about.

So yes, I am friendless in the city, recently dumped and struggling to finish school, but at the very least I am safe and warm not just during this blizzard but every night. For those of you who are also waiting for this all to pass, I hope you are safe and warm. Let's all use this extra time do make a positive impact in our communities, however big or small.