I grew up in South Florida, so January through December it always feels like summer. Our "cold" days include a brisk 60 degrees and some wind, so when moving a few hours north for college I was not prepared for seasons.

Let me preface: I still go to school in Florida. I understand that we do not receive snow, nor do we truly face a real winter, but for me, the difference is significant. Six hours north from my hometown, I am faced with a completely unique climate and a new set of rules to follow when it comes to weather.

My classes begin at 9:30 in the morning, so the other day I had the bright idea of trying to go to the gym at 7:30. I was not prepared for what I found when outside in the dark in that hour. I found wind and chill like never before, I couldn't believe how cold I was while still being in the state of Florida.

The worst comes when the sun doesn't come out. A South Florida winter includes sunny days with no rain, the rainy season being in summer. However, in Tallahassee, rain brings the cold. Meaning that we receive rain on a somewhat regular basis. Not only do we face rain, but we also have to deal with fog. Before living here, I had never truly experienced fog. This may sound dramatic, but it truly sucks all life out of the day.

This combination of rain and very cold temperatures more often than not causes me to run and shelter in place. The simple walk from my room to the dining hall is one to be dreaded for hours leading up to the journey. Driving in the fog and the brutal walk from my car into a restaurant sends chills down my spine over the mere thought of the concept.

Although this cold can cause misery, there are days where the weather is my best friend. Multiple days a week, I am greeted by the sun shining through my windows and gorgeous cold temperatures. The mere presence of the sun changes my expression from a frown to a smile.

The sun gives me a reason to be outside. I sit outside to do my homework, relishing in the rays and cool temperatures which leads to a lack of humidity. On those days, I sit around thinking about how grateful I am to live in a place with such beautiful weather. I tell my friends about how I never want to go back to the heat of South Florida. How could I leave such temperatures and beauty?

However, recently I have been slowly realizing my present situation. Spring is slowly approaching, meaning that my beautiful winter temperatures will not last forever. I know I must understand that living in a place with seasons means the seasons must change, but I will not accept this defeat.

I will appreciate whatever cool weather I receive while it is at my disposal. Although I do not love the rain or the fog in combination with the cold, my ultimate hate is the heat that comes with Spring and Summer. The humidity? The sweat? The general discomfort that comes with warm temperatures? I completely oppose the idea of moving on from winter.

I did not know what to expect when moving to a colder climate than I was used to. Would I love it? Would I be miserable? The answer is that I now feel inseparable from my love for the cold weather. Could this come off as dramatic? Most definitely. But now that I have received a full winter experience, I cannot go back.