I may go to college in Georgia now, but I used to live up north. I know what rough weather is like -- cursing the cold as I trekked through the snow on the way to the bus stop, almost spinning out driving home in a blizzard. But, hey, I could handle that. This recent weather, I cannot.
It’s like, one day, it’s the middle of summer and the next, we’ve moved to the Arctic? And that’s not even mentioning the periodic rainstorms, occasional blizzards flurries, and winds that are more at risk of frisking you than the TSA. Just standing in the shade versus standing in the sun makes it seem like you’re on opposite sides of the equator. Throughout the course of one day it’s like some a**hole in the sky is messing with everyone by constantly screwing with the thermostat. What’s the proper dress code for a day that begins below 20 degrees and ends up around 60, not even accounting for the ever-present possibility of rain?
I’ve already hit the midsemester slump, so the last thing I need is another reason not to go to class. The thought of leaving the cozy atmosphere of my apartment for a frigid walk up the never-ending hills of UGA only prompts me to snuggle farther into my covers and ignore the upcoming exams looming over my head.
I don’t think I can do another monsoon on the way to class at 8 A.M., having to stop in the bathroom to literally dry off my legs and pants beforehand. Or realizing I don’t actually know what to wear to go outside anymore? It’s 30 degrees now, but by the afternoon it’ll be 70. Do I wear a sweater? A winter jacket? Should I pack a rain jacket? Wear shorts? These are difficult choices before a cup of coffee.
Let’s talk about this “rain” thing some more as well. OK, OK, so it’s a good thing, it makes corn and all that, but is this much really necessary? I’m surprised swimming to class hasn’t become a thing with all of the downpours we’ve had recently. It would also be, you know, maybe, kind of nice to have notice of these rainstorms. The weather app seems to momentarily get amnesia when I check it in the morning, only updating to show the 100 percent chance of rain when I’m already on the bus to campus, lacking any sufficient rain gear. Though my rain jacket is basically irrelevant anyways -- I seem to still get soaked (can waterproof wear off?).
This weather doesn’t seem to belong to any season at all. Is it still winter? If so, can it at least snow? Or frost? Or stay maybe around the same temperature, have some kind of consistency? Is that too much to ask? Or, you know, if we’re heading to spring, like Punxsutawney Phil predicted, let’s keep that little bit of warmth around for more than maybe 10 seconds. That would be nice.
And OK, maybe all my many problems can’t be blamed on the moodiness of the weather, but it definitely accounts for a solid 35 of them, and that’s enough to have me yearning for some sunny skies.