I have never been much of a cold weather person. Truth be told; I hate it. When I made the decision to move to New England for grad school, the thing that scared me the most was the brutal weather I was sure to face. I did my best to ready myself. I purchased what I thought were adequate winter coats, I got some thermal underwear, I took some nice thick leather gloves with me. I thought I would be ok. Nothing could have prepared me for that first winter in the North East. NOTHING. It was the stuff that nightmares are made of. Every single day from November-April it was the same thing. I’d wake up, curse my life, and don layer upon layer of clothing. I would start with tights, followed by thermal underwear, then jeans, a tank-top, a thermal top, a thick hoodie, my winter jacket, thick socks, gloves, and snow boots. Every single day! Goodbye dresses! Adios tank-tops! Open toed strappy sandals? What open toed strappy sandals? After dressing up in my winter “uniform,” I would grit my teeth, open the front door, and face my doom. Some days it was so bad, I would repeat the “F” word over, and over until I made it to school. It probably didn’t sound very nice to those passing by, but it made the walk to campus a little more bearable. There was snow, rain, sleet, combinations of all three, and it lasted for 5 months! Being outside was a truly miserable experience.
The best thing about New England winters are that they turn into New England springs. Spring in New Haven is absolutely beautiful. In California the weather is nice all year round. I much prefer it that way, but us Californians don’t get anything as lovely as a New England spring. When the trees and flowers bloom and the streets are lined with blossoms of colors, it is enough to take your breath away. The end of April/beginning of May in New England is absolutely phenomenal. It really does feel like “spring,” and what’s more is that you feel like you have earned it. It almost makes enduring the winter worthwhile. Almost.
