Yes, I live in Upstate New York. No, I did not grow up here. No, I do not like this weather. No, I will never get used to it. When I first moved to this area, Rochester to be specific, I was very excited. Where I came from winter wasn't great. Most of the times we would get little snow, and some years we wouldn't get any at all. The idea of finally having snow for Christmas was amazing, and all I could picture was sitting by the fireplace, sipping a delicious cup of hot chocolate, going outside to build snowmen and having snowball fights. Boy, was I wrong. When November came that first year, I realized what I was truly in for.
First of all, the term "seasons" can't be really applied where we live. Winter lasts roughly from November to late April, fall is easily interchangeable with mild winter days and don't even get me started on spring and summer. Sometimes, Spring just doesn't happen and we go straight to summer. Other times, Spring might only last a couple of weeks before skipping right to fall, despite being June. This basically means that 50 percent of our year is made up of winter.
Winter is unpredictable. It is also very invasive. Lastly, winter is incredibly selfish. When we aren't so lucky as to be graced with inches and inches of snow, everything freezes. Ice is literally everywhere. From icicles hanging off of roofs, to the ice on windshields, to the frozen cement; accidents are bound to happen. Not to mention when water infiltrates your walls, freezes and turns your whole house into an igloo.
Spending any time outside is out of the question since it can cause permanent damage. Your nose will actually turn red and immobile, your face will hurt and your whole body will go numb. Also, frost bite is far from a myth but an actual reality.
When it does snow, that's when the real fun begins. Don't think schools will be closed because we are fortunate enough to be equipped for this kind of weather. We'll have to leave our houses, spend hours in traffic (though you live ten minutes from school) and freeze, of course. I can't remember the last time I went out to build a snowman since that meant losing my hands, and driving at 20 mph is less fun than it sounds. Now, if this only happened a couple of times a year, I would be able to handle it, but when it's three or four months straight, you can understand where my frustration is coming from.
Waking up everyday to a dead, lonely white landscape does not make you feel like you live in Narnia. Not wanting to get out of bed in the morning because leaving your warm cozy bed, is a traumatic experience. Realizing that you still have to wait three months before you see a flower bloom, is heartbreaking.
Yes, I live in Upstate New York and yes, I hate winter.
