Growing up in the mid-west all I have ever known is winters filled with snow. They say winter only lasts a few months, but in the mid-west, we know that when talking about winter, we expect at least half of the year including that occasional snowfall in May. So now that winter is upon us and although we may love the beauty of the snow on the ground and having a white Christmas, the reality is mid-westerners even have things we hate about winter.
1. Having to brush off your car
Living somewhere that spends so much time covered in snow, before driving anywhere we have to brush all the snow off our cars. But this isn't a task that takes a simple 2 minutes to get done. No. First, you have to bundle up to go outside and start your car so it can start warming up. Then, while it's warming up you have to brush off the snow which is only found to be covering ice. And even after you think you've gotten all of it, you'll find more when you're driving down the road and its sliding back down your windshield.
2. Layers
It is so cold out that you can't simply throw on a shirt and jeans before running out the door. Instead, you have to bundle up in long sleeves, a sweater, then your coat, with of course a scarf, hat, and gloves. This, of course, makes trying to dress up nice difficult. Girls will spend hours getting ready, doing their hair, making their makeup perfect and picking out the perfect outfit; to then have to pile up in so many layers that by the time they make it to the date, her hair is messed up from her hat, her makeup is smudged from snow melting on her face and her dress is now wrinkled.
3. Having to leave extra early
No matter where your destination may be, you have to give yourself at least an extra twenty minutes to get there. You have to drive more carefully when there is snow and to top it off, for some reason as soon as even a small amount of snow touches the ground, people manage to forget how to drive.
4. Roads being (or not being) plowed
Before I get into this one, I do want to thank the men and women who take the time to plow any of the roads at all. But despite this being said, the roads still are never fully plowed. And the roads that do get plowed are the main roads and rarely the side roads. Our colleges often don't believe in snow days either, so even if the roads are awful and there's so much snow you need snow shoes to get to class, you'll be lucky if your classes are even postponed. So if you live out in the country and off the beaten path, the only way you'll be getting out of your driveway is if you plow it yourself (of course if you have a plow).
5. Salt
The salt may be used to help melt the snow, but come on. That salt ruins everything. Brand new black boots? Now stained white from the salt. Clean car? Dirty from the salt. And the salt shows up everywhere you go after walking in it.
6. Ice
With the snow comes the ice. Whether you're walking or driving, that ice is going to get you. People driving end up in ditches from black ice they couldn't see, accidents happen, and don't even get me started on trying to walk. My friends and I always make a joke that when the snow comes, we just skate walking to class. We don't even bother lifting up our feet when walking to class. And we always end up losing count on how many times we fall flat on our backs trying to walk across it.
7. Dry Skin
The temperatures are so low and the weather is so brutal, that no amount of lotion in the world can cure the dry skin. Your skin, your lips, everything is dry and it doesn't get any better until the weather warms up again.
8. Sunlight
The few days that we get where it truly is a gorgeous sunny day out, it takes being bright out to a whole new level. The sunlight reflects off the sparkly white snow and all of a sudden you can't see much of anything. It may be freezing out, but make sure you have your sunglasses in the car.
9. Snow EVERYWHERE
Besides the obvious snow on the ground, you literally find snow everywhere. The snow will get on your coat where it will then melt and end up on your lap. It gets in your boots and your socks are then soaked. It gets in your car when you open your door so then your seats are wet. The snow in the mid-west is like sand in the south. It shows up everywhere.
10. Driving at night
No matter what time of day it is, driving through the snow is always brutal, but driving at night takes it to a whole new level. When it's pitch black out and snowing, it's like trying to drive through the Galactic Empire in Star Wars at hyper speed.
So from one midwesterner to another, stay safe and warm this winter.
