I’m not sure I’ve ever been more excited about something so much in my life. As the plane was landing, I didn’t know what to think. From the air it looked like someone had dumped a ton of powdered sugar all over everything. It was beautiful!

I know I still have an hour or so of a drive before I find my way to the cabin, but this alone is enough to make me happy for the rest of my life. Everything after this is icing on the cake. I have never seen snow, like ever, and here I am staring out the airport windows like a kid on Christmas. I’m sure I look like an idiot, but I couldn’t care less. It’s snow! Lots of it, too. I planned this trip months ago and kept my fingers crossed every day in hopes that it would snow while I was up here hiding away, and boy has it delivered!

There has been twenty inches in the last two days, and according to the weather channel, there’s a lot more on the way. Luckily, one of the locals was nice enough to drive the hour to pick me up and help me to get settled because there’s no way I could even begin to think of a way to get from point A to point B. It stands to reason that if I had never seen snow before today, I’ve never driven in it either. Water on the road, sure. Maybe a little ice every other year or two, but snow, not a chance.

A friend of mine I’ve known for several years has a cabin hidden away in the middle of nowhere that she inherited from her family forever ago. As far as I know, she hasn’t been to it since she was a kid, but was nice enough to let me borrow it for a couple of weeks to get away and see if I can’t manage to write a few words in the process. I’m sure my editor would be happy if I delivered on my next deadline. She’s hoping I feel inspired up here since I haven’t written a word in the last four months. I guess you could call this a Hail Mary play on my part, because writers block or not, the words have to find a way to flow again.

Anyway, my friend set up for one of the local guys from this town to pick me up and help me get settled in so that I don’t end up starving or freezing to death all alone in her family cabin. I think she said his name is Mike or Mitch or something like that. I have it written down in my bag somewhere, but I’m not sure if I’m willing to stop gawking out the window long enough to find it. It’s all just so beautiful. Before I can think about it again, I’m tapped on the shoulder.

“Excuse me, are you Sarah?”

“Yes.” I’m a little confused by suddenly being addressed by name, and as I turn to look at this giant of a man, I remember that I’m waiting for someone I don’t know to pick me up.

He smiles down at me, and somehow, I’m both calmed and feel uneasy by it. I shake my head to clear out the cobwebs of travel and the excitement I’ve been enjoying for the last several minutes and smile back at him.

“You must be Mike, or is it Mitch? I’m sorry I’ve forgotten,” and I laugh a little uncomfortably while he just keeps smiling at me. It’s a little weird, but maybe he’s just a bit socially awkward. I’m not here to judge, I’m here to hopefully get some work done.

“That’s me. You can call me Mike. It’s probably best to have a name now that we’ve met. Is this all your bags?” He gestures to my suitcase still smiling at me.

“This is it! Thank you again for agreeing to pick me up and help to get me settled. I don’t know what I’d do if I had to face all of that on my own.” I tilt my head toward the wall of windows and laugh again to cover up my nerves.

“Of course, I don’t mind at all. Let’s get on the road before we can’t.” He grabs my bags and starts to head out the door, and I follow blindly. I suppose I should be more cautious jumping into some car with a complete stranger, but I guess that was the start from the beginning.

He loads my bags into the back, and as I start to buckle my seatbelt, I jump as the doors lock loudly. He notices and laughs in my direction. “They’re automatic. I guess I barely notice how loud they are anymore.” I nodded my head and started to dig in my bag for that slip of paper with his name on it. It was Mike, right?

He pulls out of the parking garage and onto the road, and the view is breathtaking. I forget to keep digging for a minute or two. I reach for my phone to snap a couple of pictures of the snow covering the trees, and it buzzes in my hand.

Mitch just called to tell me his truck had some mechanical issues, but he’s borrowed his neighbor’s and is on his way now to get you. Hope you’re enjoying the snow! See ya in a couple of weeks. Have fun and happy writing.

I swallow hard and look over at this man driving me to god knows where, but he definitely wasn’t the person I was supposed to be waiting on to pick me up. I smile nervously when he looks over in my direction, and quickly start to text my friend back, but it only sits there unable to send. There’s no service already. He smiles at me again.

“I don’t think that’s going to work for you, Sarah. Service is a little spotty out here in this weather. I hope that’s not a problem. I’m sure we can get things sorted once we get to where we’re going. Just relax. This won’t take long.”