I spent most of my childhood in the South, where the winters produced only a few snow flurries, if we were lucky. The snow flurries were exciting, but I yearned to see real snow. When I graduated from high school, I moved across the country for college, in a place where snow was plentiful in the winters. On the first snow day of my freshman year, I squealed with delight and headed outside to play in the snow. I was not alone. Others from warmer areas of the country were also jumping gleefully through the snow. So I enjoyed that winter. But after seven winters there, I was so over it.
Even after moving to a warmer climate for a few years, a bit of me died with the leaves every time they started falling off the trees, signalling winter was on its way. I hate winter. Last year, we moved further up north just in time for one of the worst winters in 20 years. The snow here starts in the fall and piles up and stays frozen until the Spring. One day last winter, the temperature reached a low of -40 degrees Fahrenheit (including wind chill). My ignorant self did not previously realize it got that cold in the US, with the exception of maybe Alaska. Last winter was rough on everyone, and I tried to stay positive, but it was hard. I don't regret moving here; aside from the bad winters, it is a good place to live. Honestly, unless I were in Hawaii, I'd probably hate winters anywhere I lived.
This year, I woke up on Halloween to find snow on the ground. It was a light covering that melted by the end of the day, but still, one look at the snow had me mentally fighting off expletives for a minute. I hate swear words, but I don't know what can better express how I feel about winter. And, by the way, in my world, no matter what month it is, snow, cold, coats, bare tree branches, and/or darkness at 5 pm means that it's winter.
Winter, how do I hate thee? Let me count the ways...
1.
I hate being cold. It is miserable. No amount of layers can warm me up. Okay, that's a lie. If I'm wearing three layers of clothes in a heated house, lying down on the couch with eight blankets on top of me, then I'm warm. But really, who can do that for very long? I've got things to do.
2.
I hate the snow and ice. The snow gets everything wet and messy. And after a while, the snow gets dirty. So gray snow invades the car, the house, and boots and clothes. Snow and ice are dangerous. It makes driving and walking difficult. I am far more nervous when driving in the winter than any other season. Plus, the snow and ice are just plain annoying. You have to shovel and sprinkle (salt) and scrape continuously.
3.
I hate the bulkiness. I want to punch people who say that cold is better because you can always add more layers. I can't stand layers. It is so restricting. It gets in the way. I can't wash dishes, or even wash my hands without getting my sleeves wet, or constantly pushing the sleeves up. Furthermore, pushed-up sleeves become stretched out. Wearing a winter coat is like trying to go about your life while you're being perpetually hugged. You can't move very freely. Winter clothes are so much thicker and trying to shove them in closets and drawers can be aggravating.
4.
I hate how it's time-consuming and so inconvenient. In the summer, all you have to do is slip on a pair of sandals. If it's really hot, you might grab a bottle of water, and, if you'll be outside a while, some sunscreen. But that's it. You can then walk out of the house, buckle up in the car, and leave. In the winter, I have to add at least an additional twenty minutes to prepare myself and my two daughters to go anywhere. There are sweaters, boots, gloves, hats, scarves, and coats to don. And don't forget, children in car seats aren't supposed to wear big winter coats under their straps. So we put on a lighter coat, put them in the seat, then put a big coat on them backwards. Once you finally get outside, ofttimes you have to shovel and scrape the snow and ice off the car and driveway (That's not included in my extra twenty minutes, by the way). Afterward, you finally get in the car and slowly drive to your destination, straining to see in snowstorms while trying to avoid sliding on ice and getting stuck in the snow. When it's time to get out, you remove the backwards big coat from the child, unbuckle the car seat, and put the coat on the right way. This fun coat switcheroo has to happen every time you get in and out of a car. And then when you get into a building, the coats, gloves, hats, and scarves come flying off, and you end up carrying them around and trying to keep track of them and not lose anything.
5.
I hate the overabundant static electricity. The shocks. The hair standing up or plastered to faces and clothing. It's annoying. And much more prevalent in the winter.
6.
I hate the holiday pressure. Holidays are usually a perk to most people's otherwise dull or dreadful winter. I have tried for years to feel the "holiday spirit" and have a good time, but I always end up stressed and depressed and glad when the holidays are over.
7.
I hate the dullness and darkness. Here, it starts to get dark at 4:45pm when daylight savings time ends. That is so depressing. Even during the day, much of the time it is overcast, and everything looks gray and barren.
8.
I hate the sicknesses. Winter is flu season. Germs are passed around more easily. All sicknesses and colds are more rampant in the wintertime.
9.
I hate the dryness. My hands get so dry, they crack and bleed and sting and hurt. I'm constantly slathering them with lotion.
What I'm going to do about it:
1.
Hot chocolate. I am investing in some good hot chocolate and will drink lots of it. Apple cider, too.
2.
Good clothes. I opened the boxes of my winter clothes in the basement, and felt a hint of bitterness and disgust. I would rather not have to wear long sleeves and boots at all, but since I have to, I'm only going to take out the ones I like a lot, even if that means I have to do laundry more often. All of the others will stay exiled in the basement. Actually, I should probably just donate them. I also plan on investing in some more merino wool socks and other good-quality, warm clothes. I want to find another pair of fur-lined boots. I got one pair last winter and they are wonderfully warm. I like to wear fleece-lined tights or leggings under my jeans in the winter, but I recently saw some fur-lined leggings at a store in the mall. The saleslady who saw me looking at them told me that they felt like "kittens hugging your legs". What an interesting (and kinda creepy) way to put it. I didn't have enough time to try them on right then, but I intend to go back, and if they're really that great, I may be the owner of some fur-lined leggings.
3.
Winter science. I'm going to try those neat experiments you can do in subzero temperatures. I'll toss hot water into the air outside and watch what happens. I'll blow bubbles outside and watch them freeze. Maybe I'll make those Ice Ornaments/Marbles that are all over Pinterest. (You fill a balloon with water and food coloring, freeze them outside, then cut off the balloon and then you have some neat outdoor decorations.) There are lots of lists of neat science-y things to do online. One of the lists I found is at
http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/things_to_do_when_its_cold_outside.php.
4.
Organization. I'm trying to come with a system to deal with the mess of coats, jackets, gloves, scarves, and hats. I haven't perfected it yet, but it will involve installing some shorter hooks in my house so my kids can get down and hang up their own coats.
5.
Exercise. The only kind of exercise I enjoy is dancing. I'm going to dance more. It'll warm me up, and make me healthier, too. Notice I didn't say I'd go skiing, snowboarding, or the like. Winter sports make winter fun for many people, but they do not appeal to me in the least. I'll probably go sledding with my kids. Other than that, activities which require extensive time to be spent outdoors in the winter, particularly having to do with sports, sound terrible to me. (I was reading about winter sports, and ice swimming was mentioned. As in, you break ice off the top of a freezing lake, and you go swim around in that water! Not a dunk, like a Polar Plunge, but actually swimming. Why would one torture oneself like that?)
6.
Distractions. I'm going to work on improving my writing, sewing, knitting, and crocheting. I might take some classes. I'm going to venture out of my house and find things to do beyond my normal routines. I'll try to meet with people, talk with people, and serve people.
7.
Rethink holidays. I'm currently in the process of rethinking holidays and figuring out why they stress me out and why I don't enjoy them. For starters, I'm doing the celebratory things I want to do, not what you're "supposed" to do around the holidays. For example, I enjoy doing crafts, but I don't enjoy cooking. So this year, we'll have more new homemade decorations and less homemade cookies.
8.
Lighting. I am investing in one of those super-bright lamps to help elevate my mood on dull, dreary days.
9.
Be grateful. I'm going to try to focus on the good things. I'm grateful for a heated home and warm clothes and good food. I'm grateful for electricity and the water heater. I'm grateful for a car with four-wheel drive. I'm grateful for the internet. I'm grateful for family.
10.
Helpful tips. I've decided that I'm going to compile a list of helpful tips to get through the winter. I have some tips of my own, but I'm always looking for more. Here's one of mine: If you must go to a grocery store when it's icy, try to find a
parking spot next to a cart corral so that you can quickly grab a cart and
essentially use it as a walker to lean on so you don't slip and fall on
the way in the store.
So, there you have it...what I hate about winter, and what I'm doing about it!
