Growing up in California, year-round variations of summer weather was all I had known… up until my decision to pack up and go east for college. Now that I’m three years deep into that decision, I firmly believe that my choice was a fantastic one.
FALL
Prior to moving to New York, I had known fall only as the part of the year when days get shorter and all the trees die; however, I now know it as a magical time of changing colors and falling acorns. Though we catch the tail-end of summer, it is not long before the tops of trees start breaking down their chlorophyll and changing colors. The world becomes filled with reds and yellows and the wind becomes Pocahontas-worthy.
Fall is not only about the trees though (no matter how much Snapchat and Instagram may lead you to believe), but it is also about changing temperatures. Rather than visiting pumpkin patches in tank tops and sandals, I now put on a sweater and boots and actually pick pumpkins rather than choose one from an assortment sitting atop hay bales.
WINTER
Though it may happen during fall, the moment the little white flurries hit the ground, it is winter to me. The first snow is one of the defining moments for many new residents of the East Coast. Kids who grew up with it do not quite understand the excitement of a solid three inches of snow. To them it’s a flashback to years of shoveling the driveway and walking to school in the cold, but to West Coasters, it is enough to sled, build snowmen, and have an accomplished snowball fight in.
If there is anything I have learned, it is that enjoying snow is something that is short-lived on the East Coast. While visiting snow in California may be fun, it is also one on the very few down-sides to living on the East Coast. By the time February rolls around, the snow is more of a nuisance. Walking to class in the snow is not fun and don’t even get me started on rogue April snow storms.
While later parts of winter may not be so great, the first part usually is. The beginning of winter entails going home for Christmas and/or winter break. Once again, the inner Californian can be let out and the annual day-after-Christmas beach trip serves as a nice calm before the (winter) storm(s).
SPRING
After a long, agonizing winter, nothing gets the spirit up quite like seeing trees blossom. As a native Californian, I never understood the relief that comes with April and May. To me, it had always been a time when the 60s turned into high 70s and low 80s, but now I get it. Winter is drawn out some years and there are teaser weeks in March and April where the weather will be warm and sunny one week, but the next week calls for snow.
By the time mid-April rolls around, most snow melts away and you just want to grab a hair dryer and melt the remaining snow patches. As trees regain their leaves and flowers are once again present, it becomes a time to gather outdoors with friends. Whether it’s studying for finals or just throwing around a football, nothing quite compares to the outdoor activity at the end of the semester.
SUMMER
After surviving three seasons on the East Coast, nothing quite compares to the feeling of going back to the West Coast in its prime – summer. While other seasons on the East Coast are amazing, I am glad I do not have to spend my summer living in a bubble of humidity and cicadas. As fun as the Jersey Shore may sound, I will take my free-admission California beaches any day (yes, you actually have to pay to go on some beaches here).
While the West Coast – California, I’m looking at you – may not have the other seasons down to a science, it definitely has summer covered.
