Spring! The warm and sunny sign that we survived all the miserable treks through the arctic tundra to classes and the struggle to find outfits to go out in that won’t give us hypothermia had arrived. We made it through midterms and blizzards, survived the seasonal depression that comes with the cold, and now our lives are filled with flowers, sunshine, and the wonderful hope of summer that's just a few weeks away. Anyone in the Charlottesville area can tell when the best season of the year has finally come to UVA.
1. Tans.
Once the tan lines start coming out, you know winter is ending. Everyone here is already unfairly beautiful, but spring break making everyone even more gorgeous, with bronze skin from extravagant, tropical vacations.
2. Long live Bilt, Coupes, and Crozet.
UVA’s favorite warm-weather bars are back at it; not only do we no longer have to freeze while waiting in the mile and a half long line for Trin, but we get to enjoy the outdoor areas, live music, and room to actually breathe. Gone are the days of having no choice but to end up at the impossibly crowded second floor of Boylan.
3. Bye to Bean boots and Barbours.
When the seasons at UVA change, so does the fashion. The sea of Canada Goose coats and Patagonias are replaced by Lilly dresses and those salmon-colored shorts every single guy seems to own. Chacos and Jack Rogers come back out, reminding us how close we are to the much-needed summer break.
4. No more "SOS I lost my jacket" posts.
The UVA Class of 20-whatever Facebook pages might as well be a lost-and-found; nearly every post during the winter involves someone looking for their North Face that was unfortunately forgotten or accidentally switched with someone else's at a bar. Everyone knows it's warming up once those posts finally end and are replaced with people asking about misplaced Ray Bans or IDs lost while jumping the fence to Coupes.
5. Everyone is outside.
The Lawn, the Amphitheater, basically anywhere that doesn't have a roof over it; people will be sitting doing homework between classes or talking with friends while enjoying some sun and fresh air. Grounds no longer looks like a barren, frozen wasteland, and it's no longer physically painful to wait in the dumplings line.
6. Mother Nature loves us again.
Flowers are blooming, the trees are green, and the days become progressively warmer and sunnier. We don't have to wake to icicles hanging from our windows or show up to class looking like we just walked through Siberia to get there.
7. Revival of tour groups.
Ah, they're back. You can't walk across Grounds without seeing at least a handful of little packs of high schoolers and the infamous UGuides crowding the steps to Clark Library or walking through old dorms. Days on the Lawn starts at the beginning of this season as well, so even more prospective students and enthusiastic parents are sitting in the Amphitheater and admiring how lovely spring looks on our school.
8. Darty season returns.
We've all been waiting for the weekends where the weather is finally warm enough for darties to start up again. Who doesn't love putting on sundresses and shorts and spending your Saturday afternoon outside on Rugby Road instead of doing all the homework you've been procrastinating on?
9. Enos everywhere.
Along with spring come the Enos. They're all over the place—outside of dorms, in between trees on the Lawn, hanging in apartment balconies. They add even more color and excited feelings of "thank God it's almost summer" to the springtime atmosphere.
10. Mad Bowl is lit.
Just like in August and September, Mad Bowl is once again full of philanthropies and sports teams. It seems like every weekend fraternities are holding cook-outs or charities are hosting fundraising events here during the spring. It's a perfect place to both have fun and work on keeping your spring break tan alive.
It clearly doesn't take warmer weather to know springtime has arrived in Charlottesville. Everyone seems happier and brighter, and with the exception of finals, we have nothing but sunshine and the prospects of Foxfield, beach week, and summer vacation to look forward to.
