It begins to set at the same time of year, around the end of February, the overall frustration with the post-January, pre-spring winter blues. Mornings are dark and cold, nighttime starts at 4 p.m., and the motivation to do anything is just nonexistent. Which brings up the question of where is spring and all the fun, warm weather activities it has to offer?

Come December, the holiday season brings out the love of winter the strongest, everyone is merry, spending time with loved ones, ice skating, drinking hot cocoa, cuddling up to watch movies, and just overall taking advantage of the cold weather. However, the weeks following New Years is when the mood starts to change and happiness begins to plummet people seem to fall into a post-holiday funk and the cold weather sure as hell doesn't help. It seems like the month of January is centuries long, I don't know if it's because it has 31 days or if the cold weather somehow stretches out the month, but making it through January is an accomplishment in itself. January is basically Winter in its own, so when it ends, people are more than ready to shake off the snow and get into some warmer days.

Then, February second rolls around and people are eagerly scoping the news to watch a groundhog predict our fate as they anxiously hope for him to not see his shadow and an early spring arrives at last. At least that is what happened this year. It seems that year after year the groundhog sees his shadow, gets scared, sprints back into his hole and we are left with six more weeks of winter, but this year told a different tale. The groundhog saw his shadow and ultimately it was predicted for an early spring. This prediction alone has sparked warm weather anticipation epically. People went straight to online shopping for bathing suits and shorts, rather than sweaters and boots.

Now, it may just be Virginia's wishy-washy weather but I somehow believe mother nature is playing tricks on us. One day will be 65, the next will snow, the next will rain and be 42, and the next will be 75. I even think the early spring prediction made Valentine's day for singles a little more bearable, because the 15th, the day after Valentine's day, was sunny and in the 60s. So mother nature, when is the inconsistency going to stop?

I think I speak for most when I say that we are ready for some spring weather. Ready for no jackets, shorts, getting in your car without having to clear it off first, longer days, flowers in bloom, and baby animals running around. Not to mention actually enjoying walking places in the warm spring breeze, rather than speed walking bundled up in 5 layers with a wind-chill that chaps up your face. It's something about warm weather that just makes people nicer, and overall puts us in better moods. Even on my most stressful day, if I walk outside and its anywhere above 60 and sunny, I automatically feel at ease.

I am not asking to fast forward to summer I am just ready for some mood enhancing, sunny, spring weather to make its way on over and terminate the winter blues.