I hate summer. A lot.

Yeah, I’m probably holding the minority opinion, but summer is 100 percent the worst season by far.

And I’ll tell you why.

Maybe you like summer, but maybe where you live summer doesn't mean bags of rotting junebugs hanging from trees and average temperatures of 90 degrees.

But where I live, in South Carolina, summer is the worst. And compared to the other three seasons, summer doesn’t stand a chance.

Fall is gorgeous, cool, and layered with crunchy leaves. Winter is just a little colder, usually overcast, and decked out with sparkling Christmas decorations. And spring is temperate and full of blossoming flowers and trees.

But summer?

Summer is the black sheep of the season family, and no one can try to convince me otherwise.

The Heat

On the third day of June, I checked my car’s thermometer and discovered it was 101 degrees outside.

101. In June.

If the heat is already above 100 in early summer, Lord help us as we head into July and August.

South Carolina heat is no laughing matter; you should always keep water on hand, and limit your exercise in midday, unless you are incredibly well-trained for it. The sun will scorch flowerbeds and green, summer grass, and the heat will turn your car into an Easy-Bake Oven.

While Instagram beach photos rosily tint hot summer days, the reality is opening your front door to a debilitating wave of 105 degree heat.

The Humidity

South Carolina is known for its humidity much in the same way Taco Bell is known for its ground beef (read: not good).

With air so thick you can almost swim through it, South Carolina summers combine heat with moisture, and it’s probably the worst combo ever.

Prepare yourself for the classic game of “Am I Actually Sweating or Is My Skin Just in Contact With Too Much Air?”

The Never-Ending Story

So, in elementary school, I learned many simplifications of difficult concepts. My least favorites of these was the idea that summer lasted only for May, June, and July.

Let’s cut the bologna.

In South Carolina, summer starts in March or April, and ends in October. Month after month of sticky sweat and frizzy hair takes a toll on our poor state, and I have a theory that everyone would be nicer if summer only reached a high of 80 degrees for three short months.

The Creatures

South Carolina is home to some sort of X-Men mutated bugs.

The spiders are nightmarish, the ants are everywhere, and the moths are basically the size of Godzilla. Expect to find bugs in your bedroom, your pantry and cabinets, your hair, and your car. They will annoy you until you think you’ve reached your limit of annoyance, and then they will find a way to one-up that limit.

To summarize, summer is the worst. It’s too hot. It’s too humid. It won’t let up. It has way too many creepy-crawly creatures.

But, eventually, fall will come, and all will be right with the world again.