The weather has officially broke and you are excited to reveal your pale legs and arms to the world. HELLO SUNSHINE! However, with great weather also comes...Allergies. It starts with a sneeze, and then another and another. Your nose is red and your eyes are puffy and you pray to mother nature that you can survive until the first rain storm.
1. The Endless Sneezing
It's either the newest dance craze, or you are having a sneezing fit in the back of class. Your peers stare at you as if you are giant, walking germ ready to contaminate everyone and everything before finals. In between your cannon of sneezes, you attempt to reassure everyone around you that it is in fact allergies and that you should not be quarantined from the final review session.
2. The Red Puffy Eyes
"Did you just break up with your boyfriend?" These questions echo from concerned classmates. Despite the fact that you look liked you cried for two weeks straight, it is the fact that the clouds of pollen that are invading your eyes every day.
3. The Tissue Trail
As you hibernate in congested agony in your bed, the only way your friends can find you is through the tissue trail. The snow, white tissues can be found scattered all over your room, leaving the impression of a winter snowfall. You casually try not to make a big deal about the fact that you have gone through five boxes in seven days and your friends find the right moment to take their leave from your snot dungeon.
4. The Endless Supply of Antihistamines
You've got Claritin, Allegra, Benadryl, eye drops, tissues and lozenges. You know that your daily allergy medicine might not be enough to take on the excessive amount of pollen in the air. Your superhero for the time being is the Nasonex bee voiced by Antonio Banderas telling you that you will make it through this.5. Outside = War Zone
You walk quickly between buildings, sometimes holding your breath so you don't have an wheezing fit in the middle of the quad. You never know when the pollen will strike or the wind will blow. You're suspicious of even the prettiest flowers because that's how they get you to sniff them. When the wind does start to blow, your sinuses scream, "RETREAT" as you rush toward the closest building with central air.
6. Window Watching
7. Pollen Paint Job
Oh yes. You know that is officially allergy season when your back car turns yellow. Yes, pollen is that powerful. Any errand becomes a chore because of the risk. You carefully touch your car door handle so you limit your pollen contact as much as possible. However when you forget about this contact it can be deadly. Especially when you accidentally touch your pollen covered finger to your eye.
8. The Interrupting Sniffles
Once you've kept the sneezing at bay with your medicine, there remains perhaps the most annoying symptom of allergies yet: The sniffles. Have you ever had a conversation with the sniffles? Hey. sniff. Can. sniff. I. sniff, sniff. Borrow. sniff. your. sniff, sniff, sniff. notes? Sniff. A one-second conversation turns into five minutes with constant sniffling interference.
9. Unprovoked Anger
10. Waiting for Rain
You check your weather app again and again. You are the only one who is disappointed by the sunshine icons smeared across the screen. Everyone else is loving the sun, but you and your allergies know that rain washes the pollen away. You're desperation grows as the temperatures climb.
11. RAIN!
It happened! As the storm rolls in and the rain comes down you happily wave bye bye to the evil pollen. Knowing full well that when the weather breaks, it could resurface. However, you will bask in the glory of the rain and laugh as all the allergy-free frisbee playing kids will be inside too.When the storm breaks you are free to move about the outdoors safely, taking deep breaths of fresh air and perhaps twirling on a hillside.
See you after the rain, but until then...
