Growing up in West Virginia, I have had the pleasure of experiencing all four season and watching them change is a beautiful thing. In spring, the flowers blossom to life and the warmth starts to creep back into our lives. In the summer, the sun is out to play and so are we. The beach welcomes us to enjoy the beautiful weather and work on our tans. And who could forget about fall? Big, cozy sweaters, scarves, colorful leaves, and pumpkin-flavored everything.
Then there is winter: the worst of them all. The bitter cold biting at our noses and cheeks, constant shivering, snot running down our faces, and snow everywhere. Here are the reasons why I know winter is the absolute worst.
1. Cold.
Nobody enjoys being cold. If they say they do, they're probably lying. The cold is not relaxing. It leads to shivering, chattering teeth, goosebumps and a constant desire to be warm, not to mention all that snot running down your face. When do you hear of someone going on vacation somewhere cold so that they can relax? Never, that's when. Have you ever tried to get out of bed on a cold morning? You feel like a toasty cinnamon bun and leaving the warmth of those covers is next to impossible. Humans should be able to hibernate like bears during the winter.
2. Snow
Snow may look pretty and make everything into a Winter Wonderland, but don't let it fool you. It's cold, wet and awful. It either turns into brown slush on sidewalks and roads or it freezes over to make everything slippery and dangerous. (You don't see that happening in the summer.) The only day snow is acceptable is December 25th. As a kid, you probably looked forward to snow because that meant a delay or cancellation. But, in college those are rarer than unicorns, so snow only means that us WVU students will have to ice skate or snowboard up and down these hills just to get those iClicker attendance points.
3. Clothing
In the summer, you can throw on a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops and you are ready to go. In the winter you'll need pants, long socks, boots, a t-shirt, a long-sleeve shirt, a sweater/sweatshirt, a coat, gloves, a scarf, and a hat just to walk from your front door to your car. You're all bundled up like Randy from "A Christmas Story," wearing enough layers that you can barely able to put your arms down or walk without waddling like a penguin. Winter clothing isn't cheap either. Finding a good coat and reliable pair of winter/snow boots adds up, not to mention the added price of gloves, scarves, and hats.
4. Nature
During autumn, the leaves change colors and fall all around us. But, in winter, the trees are dead and everything is gray. The beauty is taken out of our surroundings and is replaced with too much snow and naked trees.
5. Health
Winter: the season of snot, coughing and head colds. You feel that first sneeze coming on and you know what's about to hit you. More people get sick in winter than in any other season of the year because the cold suppresses our immune systems. Everyone is coughing up a lung and you sit there and pray that it doesn't come for you next. With finals being in the middle of December, you can't afford to get sick.
There are some people (myself included) who suffer from a condition known as Raynaud's syndrome. With Raynaud's, when a person is exposed to the cold, the blood vessels in their fingers and toes (and in some cases, ears) constrict and prevent blood flow to those areas. Fingers and toes will appear white, purple and/or dark red and it can be extremely painful, making it impossible to complete simple tasks. This can be caused by cold weather, air conditioning, holding something cold, or even just a slight breeze. This alone is enough to make someone hate winter altogether. This alone is enough to make anyone hate winter.
6. Darkness
Everyone loves a nice sunset, but not at 4:30 in the afternoon. One of the many things about winter that sucks is the fact that the sun sets so early and rises later. A majority of the day is spent in darkness. Who wants that? We aren't vampires.
So I think we can all agree that winter is the worst season of all. Low temperatures, too much snow, no pretty leaves and not enough sun. How many days until summer?
