Fields of snow as far as the eye can see, the sound of shovels breaking thick ice in the early morning, intoxicating smell of pancakes and butter in the air...Welcome to New Hampshire's winter wonderland. Except I forgot to mention the fact that it's not a wonderland at all. The cold months in the 603 are a true trial for the body and mind. These are the 10 signs you're spending the winter in New Hampshire.

1. You get your cardio on by shoveling three times a day.

And that's if you're lucky to have a reasonably-sized house and only one car. In the Granite State, we are very proactive when it comes to snow, because if we don't have the right equipment and discipline to shovel off the driveway in the morning, afternoon and before bed, we'll be stranded inside for days. The upside of shoveling, though, is that if you do it regularly over the course of the whole winter, which in my head is pretty much 50% of the year, you'll get killer arms and abs.

2. By January, guys turn into Yeti and girls hate their lives.

Starting in Movember, dudes vigorously go every type of facial and body hair they are able to in order to have some winter insulation. Girls, on the other hand, freeze their bums off, so we hit up the Tilton outlet mall for heavy gloves, Uggs and whatever else gives even the slightest promise to keep us from losing out fingers to hypothermia.

3. You hit up the slopes at least once a week.

Because if you don't find a way to make winter fun, you're doomed. Gunstock and Waterville Valley enjoy a great turnout every year, as pretty much anyone from New Hampshire is born knowing how to ski at the least. I've got to admit, I'm the type of person who'd rather sip on some scotch and watch others ski from the lodge, but that too makes winter more fun.

4. Flannel is a way of life.

No need to flip through Vogue for fashion ideas. Once November rolls around, it's time to break out the good old flannel. It's totally fine to have the same plaid shirt in red, green, blue and grey. It's also super common to see at least two other people wearing the same outfit as you at a party, which is totally socially acceptable, so no need for a "who wore it better" face-off.

5. You don't drive. You snowmobile.

Because that's ten times more badass than being stuffed in a Subaru.

6. ...and Canada is practically your backyard

Again, no one needs traditional roads when you can take the backcountry version from Alton Bay at 7 am and have lunch in Canada.

7. Your diet consists exclusively of comfort food

I'm talking butter biscuits on pancakes on grilled cheese and soup. We love our comfort food so much, that we have some incredible places that will spoil you to oblivion.

8. If you're lucky, you escape to Florida for a hot second

Florida is hands-down the most popular place to escape the brutality of the New Hampshire winter. If you head down to Tampa in February, every other person you see on the street will be a winter refugee from the 603. The southeast is a small sparkle in the darkness of -35 degrees that we struggle to get accustomed to. Needless to say, once we get down there, we immediately break out the tank tops and shorts like true northerners.

9. You are convinced that you're the toughest thing around...

I mean, look at these Florida wimps—sweaters in 50-degree weather. New Hampshirites call that flip-flop weather. If you haven't seen the January blizzards we have, you're a whole category of toughness below us.

10. ...but when you spot signs of spring, you weep of joy

"I'm tough as f*ck, I can handle winter all year round," is what we think at the beginning of March until we see a single drop of melted ice fall from the roof. The thought of this snowpocalypse releasing us from its icy grip is enough to bring us to our knees with joy. As much as we've come to adapt to and appreciate winter, there is nothing more beautiful than the feeling of spring finally coming to our rescue.