On Sunday, my plan was to go directly to the Buffalo History Museum to see something I’ve been hearing about since I moved here: the Cherry Blossom Festival.
So, I hopped on the bus and ventured there. It was a beautiful day, and the festival was only two days (over a weekend), so I don’t blame the loads of people that were packed onto the museum grounds.
But it was way too crowded to be enjoyed, and, at no one’s fault, there were barely any cherry blossoms.
With anything I do here for the first time, I really try to just see how things are for myself and not assume I’ll feel the same way other people do. This event is a perfect example of that; it might be the highlight of the year for some, but it’s not for me. Regardless, I’m glad I went so I could find out for myself.
I’d taken the bus a little further out than I usually do, but it was such a pretty day, I figured I could walk around for awhile and I’d come up with another way to spend my afternoon.
I started my walk at Buffalo State University, which is really close to the history museum.
Buffalo State University was founded in 1871 as a teachers’ college (then called the Buffalo Normal School) to support the city’s growing public school system. Over time, it expanded into a full liberal arts institution within the SUNY system, now offering hundreds of undergraduate and graduate programs.
The campus has long emphasized education, community engagement, and the arts, and has hosted notable speakers—including Hillary Rodham Clinton, who delivered the keynote address at its 2006 commencement.
Let me just say, the campus is so pretty! It has that classic collegiate feel, with its red-brick buildings and double doors. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Spanish-style at LSU, but I’ve always loved how bold and iconic a classic college campus can be.
I walked around campus for a bit, noticing how many people were outside; I really love how much everyone here takes advantage of a nice day (or even just a good few hours).
I wasn’t ready to get back on the bus yet, so I headed down Elmwood toward home, with no intention of hurrying. I had no plans and figured I would just walk until I couldn’t anymore.
I ended up walking to a Greek restaurant for lunch; along the way I saw all the bars filling up for the Sabres game that started at 2pm. When I finished lunch, the game started, so I kept walking and listened to it.
I ended up walking all the way home (all four miles from the History museum), and the Sabers beat the Bruins, 6-1!
On Monday, the weather was even warmer (73 degrees!), so I went for another walk, this time down to Canalside, and it felt like spring had pushed even further overnight.
For the first time in months, I saw green grass and even a few flowers blooming! As cheesy as it sounds, there were moments during my walk when I felt like I was floating.
I think this winter was tougher than I anticipated (yes, even after so many people WARNED me), and I’ve been looking forward to that feeling of a warm, sunny day for so long. I think I kind of put it out of my mind for a while because I wasn’t sure when it was going to happen!
Canalside was busy, and they were setting up for the Sabres game 5 watch party (which is tonight – see you there!). I remembered that I’ve been keeping a bottle of Gewürztraminer from Chateau des Charmes in my fridge for a day like this.
Seriously, I bought it in December after a wine tasting and it was so crisp and floral, I thought, “I’m saving this for the first sign of green!”
As I walked home from the canal, I knew it was time. Cheesey, perhaps. But, when I got home, I unsealed my big kitchen window (I taped over a gap that was letting freezing air in all winter), opened it, and used whatever was in my fridge to make a lil snack plate to go with my Gewürzt (strawberries, cheese, olives, and leftover feta fries).
I poured a glass…. or three… and it was fabulous.
Of course, I don’t know if this weather will stick around or if we’ll see another round of snow (I’d put nothing past Buffalo at this point). But I’m taking it all one day at a time and appreciating the nice days as they come.
Now that I’ve survived my first Buffalo winter, I have more perspective on how important it is to get outside and be present for the non-winter days.
I’d love to know what kinds of things you’re looking forward to this spring and summer, especially if you live somewhere with a harsh winter 🙂
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