As far as seasons go, winter rolls in at a close second best (with fall being the best, obviously). In winter, you can sit by the fire while wrapped in a cozy blanket and drinking hot cocoa, go ice skating day and night, take in the beauty of fresh, untouched, sparkling snow, and wear all of the trendy winter wear--we're talking oversized sweaters and sweatshirts with an unlimited supply of fuzzy socks. But, with all of the joy each winter brings, there come a few drawbacks. Sometimes, instead of maintaining a comfortably cool temperature, winter weather turns harsh and causes unnecessary problems. Here are nine of the struggles you may face during ferocious winter weather.
1. Your hands start to crack and bleed from the lack of moisture in the air.
No amount of lotion can reverse the dryness of your hands. Barely bump a finger on the counter and it will start bleeding within seconds. You better start stocking up on band-aids and Neosporin. It's gonna be a bloody long winter.
2. Your eyes water the instant you step outside.
YOU ARE NOT CRYING. You promise. It's uncontrollable and unfortunate. You have seriously considered wearing ski goggles to class before...and you are still considering it.
3. Wind. Cold, cold wind.
Painful on the face, bad for the hair. And, it makes keeping your eyes open extremely hard, which is kind of an important thing to, you know, see where you're going. Winter wind doesn't do anyone any good.
4. Walking becomes much harder than it ever should be.
If you want to avoid "trippin’ (oh), stumbling (oh), flippin' (oh), fumbling (so)," then you need to have your eyes glued to the ground 24/7. Slipping on ice can be disastrous for your physical and mental health. You should probably just start wearing cleats all the time to avoid a slipping tragedy.
5. You crave ice cream, and it’s 10 below.
The freezing temperatures don't prevent you from eating ice cream, because the desire for it is simply too strong. You are the only one in control of your life...besides ice cream. Eat a spoonful. Shiver. Repeat.
6. Going out and trying to decide what to wear.
Do you wear a $250 parka, risk losing it or getting it stolen, and stay warm? Or, do you brave the cold in barely any clothing, risk hypothermia and maintain a stylish look without the worry of your jacket not making it back home with you? You waste too much time on this decision, but it's tough and needs to be made.
7. Finding the motivation to get out of bed.
The walk from your bed to the shower in the morning is pure torture. It's as if you have to step into a freezer before jumping into a steam room, which probably wouldn't be so bad if you didn't have to exit the shower and go back into the cold.
8. Walking to class with coffee (or any hot beverage) in your hand.
Even if you're wearing gloves or mittens, you have to sacrifice a hand to hold your drink. The drink may keep your hand partially warm if it's not in a thermos. But, you have to grip the cup really tight to avoid the nightmare scenario of dropping your coffee--gasp. In the end, one hand must suffer.
9. Trying to walk straight and avoid falling over.
Am I the only weakling who has literally not been able to walk in a straight line because the wind's strength was too overpowering and almost caused me to blow over? It doesn't help that the wind has almost pushed me into oncoming traffic, either.