Well, it’s February again. That means President’s Day Weekend, Valentine’s Day, and, of course, the final stretch of winter. If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent the last few weeks (or even months) cursing the sub-zero temperatures and praying that the sun would finally shine. And now that time’s almost here! The wait for spring is exciting, no doubt, but it can also get annoying to shuffle through that last bit of February snow while waiting for warmer days.

I’m here to offer a different perspective on the last bit of winter. They say “you don’t know a good thing until it’s gone” and while winter may not always be considered a “good” thing, this principle nonetheless applies here. Sure, it’s annoying to pile on scarves, gloves, and jackets; yes, it’s demanding to shovel a driveway full of snow; true, it’s hard to remember to wear snow boots or to pile moisturizer on every area of skin that has been exposed to harsh winds. But there are great parts of winter, parts that I know I forget to appreciate and even miss when the sweltering days of July roll around.

I miss the heavenly rush of warmth that you get walking into a heated building after being outside, rosy-cheeked and runny-nosed in the snow. I miss being able to actually enjoy drinking hot drinks (and those red Starbucks cups, if we’re being completely honest). I miss how pretty the snow is when it first falls. I miss how peaceful winter days are. I miss having an excuse to lay in my bed and watch Netflix. I even miss having to put on layers and layers of sweaters.

So this year, I’m going to get through these (hopefully) last few cold days by trying to enjoy all these things. I’ll try my best to not think about how nice it will be when it get warm by instead focusing on how nice it is while it’s still cold.

Or, at least I’ll try to.