Perhaps I should include this to my goals for 2016: publish up-to-date events on the blog as they happened; however, doing so may contradict with my other goal of always being present. If I'm looking for an excuse, then ringing in the new year with flu-like symptoms was it. I could tell you the other reason right now, but that deserves another post in the future.
You might be wondering, haven't Roan and Jae been to Mt. San Jacinto State Park just several months ago? That's true, but we went there during the summer, and in case you didn't know, it snows in this part of California during the winter season. For someone who has never seen nor touched real snow up-close, going to Mt. San Jacinto State Park during this season was kind of a big deal.
Thankfully, my relatives (Dad's older brother's family) spent the holidays here in the US, so we had a reason to go back. It was also a coincidence that we went on a day when snowfall/snow showers were guaranteed. We drove from San Diego to pick them up at our other relative's house in Rancho Cucamonga, and travelled another hour or so to Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
We went on a Monday, but since most people were still on a week-long Christmas break, the staff warned us about a 3-hour wait to get to the mountains upon entering the premises. My relatives travel to the US at least twice a year (my uncle works for an airline company), so obtaining plane tickets was never an issue for their family. They always travelled, however, during the spring/summer season, and have never spent Christmas as a complete family here in the US. I also learned that one of my cousins has never seen real snow, too.
Indeed, we had to wait for three hours to ride the tramway up the mountains, but our timing could not have been more perfect. Shortly after my girl cousins (my only girl cousins, by the way, in Dad's side of the family) built their mini snowmen, we experienced our first snowfall! It was magical! Dad was right—the snowflakes were beautiful, and did you know that no two snowflakes are alike? Real snow reminded me of shaved ice, only better—so much better.