When everyone else stays indoors... #Snowmaggedon

I started to crave a cheesy, chicken quesadilla. And I figured I could use several cheesy, chicken quesadilla meals when I'm subsequently stuck at home during the looming #snowpocalypse2016.

So an hour before the said snowmaggedon was supposed to hit, I walked to my neighborhood grocery store for my emergency sustenance: quesadilla ingredients. Cilantro included.

I zoomed through the aisles at Harris Teeter with my shopping cart like it was an obstacle course. I dodged the moms, and their whiney kids; the men in sweats carrying packs of water; and frantic neighbors with carts full of Bagel Bites. (I didn't know people-- besides my younger brother-- still ate these.)

Before you knew it, I was amongst the crowds of people, waiting in line to check out.

As the cashier swiftly rang up my goods, I quickly asked if the store had any plans to open during the snowy weekend. I had a sudden terrifying thought of running out of guacamole.

"Yep. We'll be open all weekend. We got crew covered at nearby hotels, and employees who live walking distance from here who will open the store."

Impressive, I thought.
I wanted to give those employees kudos for [hopefully] volunteering to work in this upcoming record-breaking blizzard.

And then I remembered the year 2010.
Or precisely #Snowmaggedon2010, which crippled the U.S. capital with nearly 20 inches of snow.

I was stuck in a hotel for about a week. (Note the word stuck.)
The scheduled two days at the hotel, turned into three and four as the city scrambled to cleanup the roads. Saying that I stayed at a hotel sounds glamorous. I wish it was, but it wasn't.

As I helped the news stay on-air during the blizzard, I watched my friends post on Facebook all the ways they were enjoying the snow.
Building snow caves, watching Hulu and sleeping in seemed like the most popular activities.

For most people working in a newsroom, a looming blizzard means hunkering down, not in your house, but in your newsroom. In most case, this means living at a nearby hotel until the snow stops.

But this isn't common solely to people working in news.
Those who work in hospitals, and emergency personnel like those in the police and fire departments are all on alert during a blizzard.

We also can't forget those who work at power supply companies and those who are literally out on the roads, salting and plowing them, when residents are told to stay off the roads.

So, as I cradled my grocery bag on my snowy walk home, I felt extra grateful this year--
grateful for the people committed to work during the blizzard,
and grateful that I can cozy up with my cheesy, chicken quesadilla and watch the news from home, instead of producing it.