 |
| Photo courtesy of Viktor Hanacek on Picjumbo |
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Winter is NOT my favorite season. Winter doesn't even make the top five for me, and there are only four seasons. As soon as the temperature starts to drop and the leaves start changing colors in Autumn, I start dreading Winter. I absolutely despise Winter with every fiber of my being. And in Ohio, Winter loves to come early, and overstay its welcome. Seriously, you might as well forget about counting down to Spring, because it doesn't matter what the calendar says here. It really does not matter. You really can't trust that Winter is gone until at least mid-April, but even that is questionable.
Many people still look forward to the first snow of the season, though. Even if they do end up getting sick of it rather quickly. Yet I start complaining at the very first mention of snow. All I can think about when I hear that there's even a chance of snow is trying to shovel it, as my fingers are going numb from the cold through my two pairs of gloves. Let's also not forget about the ice, and having to use extra caution just to walk, let alone drive. Or, if you wear glasses, you know all about how your lenses fog up the second you step back inside on a cold day. All of that, combined with the lack of daylight, makes Winter absolutely dreadful. At least where I currently live. Honestly, I could go on a full-on rant about everything that makes me despise Winter, and that rant would be a mile long.
But the thing is, complaining about Winter is not going to make it go away. I also don't currently have the means to relocate to someplace warmer, so I'm out of luck there. Which means I'm going to have to just deal with it. So I might as well try to make the most of it unless I want to be in a grumpy mood for the entire season.
But the thing is, complaining about Winter is not going to make it go away. I also don't currently have the means to relocate to someplace warmer, so I'm out of luck there. Which means I'm going to have to just deal with it. So I might as well try to make the most of it unless I want to be in a grumpy mood for the entire season.
The hot chocolate
Honestly, I love drinking hot beverages year-round, but as the weather starts to get warmer, I tend to stick to just one cup of tea in the morning. Although I will occasionally have a cup of hot chocolate on a Summer morning, if I'm not in the mood for tea, it's usually too hot for Wintry beverages in the Summer. Some hot beverages aren't even available during the warmer months, so I kind of miss them a little bit during the warm months.
As much as I loathe the cold, coming back inside to a cup of hot cocoa with a ton of marshmallows can make it all better. Sometimes I even like to prepare a cup just because I can, and because it would go great with a chocolate chip cookie.
As much as I loathe the cold, coming back inside to a cup of hot cocoa with a ton of marshmallows can make it all better. Sometimes I even like to prepare a cup just because I can, and because it would go great with a chocolate chip cookie.
The extra blankets
I almost look forward to the temperature dropping, just so I can break out the extra blankets. I absolutely love my comfort items, especially my blankets. Not only do I love piling them onto my bed at night, but I also love being wrapped in a warm blanket all throughout the day. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that I sleep with five (or more) blankets in the Winter, not in the slightest. I absolutely love the warmth and the feeling of the weight from the extra blankets at night. To me, it sort of feels like being hugged or snuggled, which is a wonderful feeling as I'm falling asleep. And wrapping up in a soft blanket all through the day, while relaxing and drinking hot cocoa, is simply amazing.
You really can't pile on the extra blankets in the Summer. Not without sweating through the sheets or being uncomfortably hot anyway. I do still like to wrap in a blanket throughout the day during the warmer months, but it gets me some weird looks from others in my household in the Summer. So it's certainly nice to be able to add those extra blankets to my bed without feeling like I'm about to sweat through all of them. Or just to be able to wrap up in a blanket without judgment from my family.
You really can't pile on the extra blankets in the Summer. Not without sweating through the sheets or being uncomfortably hot anyway. I do still like to wrap in a blanket throughout the day during the warmer months, but it gets me some weird looks from others in my household in the Summer. So it's certainly nice to be able to add those extra blankets to my bed without feeling like I'm about to sweat through all of them. Or just to be able to wrap up in a blanket without judgment from my family.
The holiday season
Although this won't get you through the entire Winter, or the harshest part of the Winter that tends to come after the holidays, I still enjoy the holiday spirit from late November all the way through December. Christmas decorations go up, it's the season of giving, and there is an abundance of holiday cheer. I also really enjoy watching Christmas movies and Christmas specials, not gonna lie. Christmas has always been one of my favorite holidays, in general. I'd say it's my absolute favorite holiday, but it's tied with New Year's Day. It may actually be surpassed just a little bit by New Year's Day, let's be honest. Albeit not by much. But either way, both of these holidays are celebrated in the Winter in the northern hemisphere.
Surely I'd prefer to celebrate the Winter holidays someplace where it's warm, but I actually don't mind the snow that much for Christmas. I actually used to get upset if there wasn't snow on Christmas Eve when I was a child. I was afraid that if it didn't snow Santa wouldn't be able to come and I wouldn't get any presents. 8-year-old me would not like that it's becoming increasingly rare for Ohio to actually have snow on Christmas.
Surely I'd prefer to celebrate the Winter holidays someplace where it's warm, but I actually don't mind the snow that much for Christmas. I actually used to get upset if there wasn't snow on Christmas Eve when I was a child. I was afraid that if it didn't snow Santa wouldn't be able to come and I wouldn't get any presents. 8-year-old me would not like that it's becoming increasingly rare for Ohio to actually have snow on Christmas.
The aesthetic
As much as I abhor the snow when I have to be in it, it is kind of pretty when I don't have to be in it. I love the way it settles on trees and rooftops. The snow certainly makes for some great photo ops; some of my favorite photos I've ever taken were taken on a snowy day. The snow can also add something very special to all of those holiday light displays in December.
It's the perfect excuse to stay inside.
Honestly, I complain a lot about the cold for someone who doesn't go outside all that much anyway. I certainly wouldn't say that I hate the outdoors, but I've never been a big outdoorsy person. I generally gravitate towards indoor activities, regardless of what time of year it is or how nice it is outside. Although I really should try to work on that, as I know that I could benefit from getting more fresh air. But the great thing about Winter here is the very thing I dislike about it, the crappy weather. It's no secret that no one really wants to go outside in adverse weather conditions. So Winter weather makes for the perfect excuse to stay inside and enjoy my favorite indoor activities.
Even though Winter is certainly not my favorite season, and I'm probably still going to complain about the cold, it doesn't have to be all bad. There is something to look forward to with every season, as well as annoyances that come with every season. I almost forgot to mention my favorite thing about Winter is the fact that there aren't nearly as many bugs! It feels like there are bugs everywhere in the Spring and Summer! So there's another huge plus to the Winter.
What are some of your favorite things about Winter, or do you maybe love Winter in general? How do you experience Winter where you live? Do you get a "true" Winter where you live? Also, what holidays do you celebrate in the Winter, if any at all? I know that not everyone celebrates Christmas, so I'd love to hear about your traditions as well.
What are some of your favorite things about Winter, or do you maybe love Winter in general? How do you experience Winter where you live? Do you get a "true" Winter where you live? Also, what holidays do you celebrate in the Winter, if any at all? I know that not everyone celebrates Christmas, so I'd love to hear about your traditions as well.
No comments
Post a Comment