Here in Florida our perspective on what winter truly is happens to be a tad bit skewed. While we could probably still be tanning during the months of September to about the beginning of December, most northerners have been raking their lawns of fallen leaves and shoveling snow for a long time by now. Because of our lack of experience in the ruthless cold weather, it is easy for us to forget that Florida winter is nothing like what a real winter can be. 

Surprising to most locals, Florida’s winter is nothing compared to a true winter. Girls wearing Ugg boots when it is 60 degrees out and breaking out the NorthFace jackets are just a few of the things we as Floridians do. Believe it or not, wearing Ugg boots without your feet sweating or getting too hot as soon as you are indoors is possible. However, you may very rarely experience this in Florida, as our coldest temperatures are nothing to what the snowy states have to endure. Those who are from the north who move down to Florida often say that they have “thicker” skin because they have lived where it is truly cold. Sadly though, this “thick” skin soon disappears as you begin to acclimate with the Florida winters, where you unfortunately begin to become a wimp when it comes to enduring the cold.     

For those who remember the amazing day that all classes were canceled due to the “snow day” on Jan. 24 this past year, you also probably remember the Instagrams of people’s snowmen that were maybe the height of a pen. While it was a great day for students, the fact that we considered that a snow day, in which classes had to be canceled, was slightly ridiculous. Seeing as though students in the north endure an almost constant stream of snow throughout the winter and are still expected to make it to class, makes the fact that we had classes canceled truly a gift from God.  

Take Laura Johanson, who made the long move to Tallahassee from Maine and said, "If you make plans to drive somewhere you need to factor in the additional 45 minutes that it will take to clear all of the snow off of your car."

While it is evident that the north and south are very different geographically and thus, seasonally, it is amazing to think about the different atmospheres that people live in. Even just a few hundred miles can make the difference between tropical and arctic weather when it comes to places like California. Similarly, those living in south Florida even have the chance to still go out in the sun and tan during Christmas break, while those close to the northern border are stuck inside because of the ever-awkward hot/cold forecast we have going on in Tallahassee.    

Although it can be nice living in the Sunshine State, in my opinion, it would be nice to wake up to a White Christmas like so many do in the north. However, most Floridians would want to be able to say that they have never seen snow, rather than saying they have never been to a beach. So instead of making the move to the north, it is safe to say that simply going for a week long skiing trip is more than enough of the brutally cold whether for us weaklings in the south.