I've lived in Michigan for most of my life. I've spent countless winters here and I've more or less learned the ropes of how to live in the cold, snowy, unbearable season. Sure, it's the most wonderful time of the year, except it's really not. It sucks. I don't like winter, and I think a lot of people would agree with me.

But I have to say, I've never experienced a winter more irritating, cold, or mind-blogging than this one. For all you first year out-of-staters, no, this is not what a Michigan winter is normally like.

The weather in Michigan is famously unpredictable, going from warm to cold over a series of days, snowing and sun-shining every so often. But this winter, temperatures have been exceedingly low, then sky-rocket the day, only to drop back down the day after.

This rollercoaster of weather is insane, I won't lie to you.

Maybe I feel so strongly about winter this year because it's the first year I've been so exposed to it, what with having to walk around outside to get anywhere I want to go while on campus. But I'm sure that even so, the temperatures have never so consistently low for so long.

I mean, god damn, it is cold out there. I used to be able to walk around with a single jacket on and regular shoes, and I would be cold as naturally expected, but I could easily still walk from place to place and feel fine.

Now, if I don't leave my dorm looking like a marshmallow, I know I've made a mistake. Two layers, minimum, a scarf, a hat, and gloves are the bare necessities. It's such a hassle to have to lug all this around with you, find a safe place to keep it all and make sure that none of it gets lost.

Sure, it was cute when we were kids, just not anymore.

Along with my number of layers, my coffee and other warm-beverage consumption is at an all-time high.

Warm drinks keep you warm, naturally. It fills up your stomach with the warmth from the steaming cup of hot chocolate or mocha coffee (don't judge me, I like chocolate), and makes you feel warmer from the inside.

But when you're on the go, you need to carry your drink around with you, which is nothing short of torture. I like to keep gloves on my hands and my hands in pockets; that's one the only ways that they'll ever stay warm. But of course, when I'm carrying my coffee, even while wearing gloves, my poor little hands freeze to the bone.

It's that wind chill, I tell you.

And of course, at least once in the season, you can expect to spill that coffee all over everything, because you just couldn't get the right grip on it with your gloved hands.

Also, and I know this can't be just me, but every single one of my shoes is utterly ruined. #ThanksMichigan.

I'm so thankful for the cool dudes who shovel/plow/brush the sidewalks to make sure that the walkways and roads are clear and who salt the roads so we won't all slip on black ice (even though this inevitably always happens anyway). But I really hate how my shoes are just absolutely ruined at this point from all the salt and slush and mush.

Not to mention how my floors now require cleaning twice a week from all the salt and slush I trudge through and bring inside.

Speaking of side-walk cleaning, I love those big trucks that brush the sidewalks clean, because they definitely do a great job of cleaning, but man do they spray you if you ever accidentally cross paths with them.

And it's not just a light brushing of snow that just gets thrown at you; no, it's straight up mud, slush, and ice being flung at you at high speed. Not only does it hurt, but there go your nice jacket and clean pair of jeans.

I could go on and on about winters in Michigan, but I'm sure you have your own stories to reflect on too! All this being said, winter in Michigan is definitely an experience, and it's not all bad.