Sunshine
Before Christmas, I told myself that once we got back from vacation, it would be January, which would certainly fly by, and then February was a short month already, not to mention the week of vacation tossed in there for good measure, and then it would be March. And March is when you are truly allowed to start thinking about spring.
Oh, it is finally finally March. And I am thinking about spring. But who am I kidding? I’ve been dreaming about spring since before Thanksgiving.
I was born in Wisconsin and we lived there until I was about 6, so I do remember a few very snowy days, but the vast majority of my growing up was done in Las Vegas, where it just simply does not get THAT cold. Sure, it freezes overnight during the “winter,” but that lasts for about six to eight weeks.
Then there was the brief three years I spent in Provo – just long enough to remind me that winter is not for me – before we headed to Texas where the weather was, at least in my book, pretty much perfect.
I distinctly remember coming back to Texas after Christmas 2008 and waiting outside the airport for Ralphie to pick us up. We’d dressed that morning in Utah, and now, a few hours later, I was stripping off my sweater, and pushing up the long sleeves of my shirt, and anxiously awaiting the cool AC inside Ralphie’s car. Bart and I said, “This is what January is all about.”
Today at lunch, some of the teachers were talking about how they can’t imagine living somewhere without seasons. I know many many people who feel this way, but I have lived away from them too long to care anymore. No spectacular colored leaves in the fall or heart-stopping joy at the first warm days of spring can make up for the months of cold, bone-numbing winter. No turtleneck sweater or peacoat is worth spending a full quarter of the year devising every possible way to avoid venturing outside.
Keep your seasons – I’ll take year-round summer.
In the dead of winter I will most definitely agree with you, but now, after having lived through four seasons cycles – experiencing the brilliance of fall and the bloom of spring, I've come to understand the appeal of the seasons. I just wish I could make it three (or four with a 3 week winter).
a roarous AMEN coming at you from Lehi, UT. I grew up with seasons but immediately upon moving to Texas I was completely sold. I will take the three months of excruciating heat. I even was pregnant BOTH summers I was in Texas and I would still choose that over this blasted winter. It's like 67 dgs in Round Rock today. Good grief. This has been the longest, most boring, ugliest, most depressing winter ever. I never knew it could be so long. I am not sure what all this "Zion" talk is about because I am pretty sure the promised land is in the Austin vicinity.
You have symptoms of cabin fever. Turn up the heat (yes!) and turn on lots of bright lights. Bring some fresh flowers or flowering plants into your apartment and your work area (if allowed). Not kidding.
I do love the seasons. I would so miss the spring blooms. I think "snow birds" have the right idea – leave for the winter and come home for the spring, summer, and fall.
This totally makes sense to me, since I know you hate being cold. But I hate being hot, so eternal summer is really unappealing to me. Eternal fall would be much more up my alley: crisp, sunny, jeans-and-long-sleeves weather. Even then, I think I'd still miss the changes, since I've always had four seasons.
Whenever people tell me that I would miss the seasons, I just tell them if that were to happen, I'd fly here for a week's vacation. 😉
Really?!
I'm with RA.
You need a sun lamp and an extra dose of vitamin D.
Besides, in New England you get so many more seasons than anywhere else! For instance, we're coming up my my least favorite:
MUD season.
🙂
You know, I grew up in Southern California and LOVED IT. I honestly wondered (as a little girl) why anyone would want to live any further inland that Huntington Beach. Drive longer than 15 minutes to the ocean? No thank you. Then I moved to Provo (much like yourself) and fell in love with seasons. I really do love them now.
But since having a baby and REALLY not venturing outside if it's lower than 40 degrees… I'm starting to rethink my love affair with leaves that change and tulips. I might just want perennial spring.
I have enjoyed the seasons since moving to Boston but I have been OVER winter since before Christmas. I am a much more flip flop wearing non jacket owning californian and I prefer it that way. 75 degrees year round with a few 60's and 80's (or 90's) thrown in and I'm happy.
Yeah, growing up in Orem, I am ready for summer year-round. I'll visit the snow if I miss it.
I'll admit it, I like seasons! I was grumpy from September to November last year because I was so angry to be missing fall. As you know, Vegas has no such thing as fall. But I haven't felt nearly as heartbroken about missing winter. Winter is Las Vegas's redeeming weather quality! It's the consolation for those disgusting, blistering days of summer that make me want to crawl in the fridge and never come out!
Seriously, there's never enough summer for me. After a gross rainy winter, that first day of seventy degree sunshine (in February!) makes me realize EVERY TIME why I live in California. I honestly have no idea how I would handle it if I couldn't start thinking about spring until May or whenever it gets to the Upper Midwest.
Hahahaha! I love Kristi's comment. I'm living in the promised land and didn't even know it. It is a nice high 60s today and the funny thing is that I totally take it for granted. I'm here in my short sleeves and skirt and am certainly not grateful enough for it. I need some friends from cold places to come and remind me how awesome that is. Go ahead. I dare ya.
I love Colorado's seasons. I also love that we have a real winter but we do not get months on end of bone-numbing cold.
Janssen, If you read this, I was wondering if you would ask Bart to invite me to be a reader on his new blog? That would be awesome. my email is loolamuir@msn.com
xoxo Laura
Totally and completely agree.
it's FINALLY starting to get warm here and I couldn't be happier about it!
I will second that…I will take a year round summer as well! I live in UT now and I miss the Vegas weather… 🙂
As a Texan, who is dreading the 100+ degree weather soon, I disagree – I want seasons, I desperately want seasons.
As someone who is enjoying 67 or so degree weather, driving home with the windows down and seeing flowers already start to bloom… I like it here.
I'm torn. 🙂
eh? It's just 'cuz you are a Vegasite. In kindergarten I can't even TEACH the seasons…. "Well kids, what's the weather like today? What's that? It's like all the other 100 days we've been in school? Sunny? Clear? You didn't wear a coat? What do you mean, What's weather?" Oh yeah, they are only 5 years old, they don't remember the last time it rained or was cloudy…… (only a slight exaggeration…..)
My mom really missed the seasons when we lived in California. I loved the endless summery days – especially since we lived in the Bay Area which means temperate climate with some hot days. Now we live in the Netherlands where we have seasons, all right. It rains, and it rains, and it snows, and it rains, and sometimes we have sun. Today we have sun, and I'm feeling really happy.