Living in Illinois, we are blessed and cursed with being able to experience all four seasons, most people have very strong feelings for each one of those seasons. In terms of winter and the mountains of snow heading our way, I have a love-hate relationship with it.

There is no denying that the snow is gorgeous. I love watching the snow fall from my window, and even being in the snow sometimes because it looks like it’s sparkling and falling down very nicely. I associate this first snowfall and the start of the winter season with the holiday season, which is usually a very happy time for people. This is the time period I love snow and winter. Houses and streets are decorated for the holidays, I can go ice skating with friends and family, build gingerbread houses, drink hot chocolate, take walks and let my dog play in the snow, and participate in the winter traditions that make me very happy. This is one of my favorite times of the year. Along with the holiday season being very happy, this is the time period when the snow and winter season is new and exciting.

After winter break, the cold weather starts to bring down my mood. Starting in January, the snow and winter season starts to get old and the wow factor has gone away. All the holiday cheer is gone by this time, people have to go back to work and school, and the weather just feels cold and depressing during this time. I get sick of wearing a coat and having to walk from school in the cold, and I just want it to be spring or summer. One of the curses of living in Illinois is that our “winter season” carries into March most of the time. This is extremely annoying because it cuts into our spring season, which is usually only a couple of weeks. Nothing makes me want to move more than a good snowfall in March.

While I am thankful for being able to experience the winter season and not live in a place where it’s only one season all the time, my patience for the snow and cold is pretty low. Other than summer, my favorite time of the year is December because it’s a really nice time of year and I have a lot of appreciation for the snow. However, after that, I just want it all to end because it’s better in moderation.