I am someone who loves the rain. Maybe it has something to do with me being born while it was pouring outside. The sound of rain drops was one of the first sounds I heard in this world. And not that I believe in horoscopes, but I am an Aquarius.

To me, rain is special. Now, part of that reason is because it hardly ever rains where I am from. If there was even the slightest chance of rain, I’d hope for water droplets to start falling from the sky. If the sky was cloudy, I’d try to will rain to come through the sole power of my desperate longing. It’s not that I enjoy standing out in the rain and getting soaked. When I was younger, I enjoyed rain so much partly because of how it affected school activities. If it was raining outside during lunch time, we ate in the classroom and watched a movie or played board games. If it was still raining once school got out, after school sports would be cancelled. The joy I felt from after school sports being cancelled due to rain is almost indescribable.

But the novelty of rain is not why I like it so much. If that were the case, I would be sick of rain by now. Rainy, overcast skies and cooler temperatures is my favorite weather no matter where I am — LA or Portland. No, I love the rain because — and this is going to sound dramatic, but it’s true — when it is raining, I feel more alive. My senses are invigorated; my mood is lifted. Waiting for my friend in our dorm one day, our pastoral resident walked by and remarked, “Today is a beautiful day.” Everything was grey and rain was slightly pouring (by Portland standards — by LA standards it was pouring). Not exactly the typical idea of a beautiful day. Yet I couldn’t agree more.

Rain is beautiful, not just because it turns the land green or settles together in puddles perfect for splashing in. Rain is beautiful all on its own. The way drops land on windows and either stay in dot-shaped formations or quiver and slowly run down. Which rain drop will win the race?

And what better sound is there than the sound raindrops make when they land on windows as you fall asleep cozy under a pile of blankets or as you drink warm cups of tea while reading a good book? I’m just going to say it. There is none. There is absolutely no better sound.

But perhaps my favorite thing about the rain is how it makes me feel. Rain brightens my mood, but it is also soothing and calming. After spending hours in the library and feeling like I still haven’t accomplished a fraction of what needs to be done, or after spending too much time alone in my room and feeling weighted by loneliness, walking out into the rain and letting its mist envelop me makes everything right again.

However wonderful it would be if rain were this enjoyable all the time, it’s unfortunately not the case. Walking across campus while it’s raining isn’t fun when your shoes get soaked because they are not built for the rain and also because you accidentally stepped in a giant puddle that came out of nowhere. Nor is it fun when rain falls down your face and wets your glasses so much you can see better without them because your rain jacket hood does not fit all the way over your bun.

Would I trade these experiences for sun instead? Never. I’ve had enough sunshine in my life. I’ll take drizzle that seems like it isn’t even raining until a few drops are intermittently felt, or the even more annoying drizzle that’s hard enough to be felt but not quite hard enough to warrant putting my hood up and makes me feel silly either way — with or without the hood.

Rain has both pros and cons, but to me, the positives vastly outweighs the negatives.