Seasons may change and the weather will always come and go, but one thing remains the same. Rainy days are the best days. Yes, it's a highly debated topic. Yes, it's an obscure one. Yes, I struggle to find people to agree with me. But no, I don't need people to agree with me. I know this to be fact. "It's just rain" you may say, "Why do you voluntarily want to get your clothes all wet?" you inquire. Because it is beyond beautiful. Listen up.

1. Cloudy

Arguably the best upside to rainy days is that there is no sun (unless it's a sunshower or whatever you call it in the south, we don't have those in the midwest). The sun is hot, the sun burns you, the sun brings out all the sweat that leaves stains on your favorite grey shirt and melts the makeup off your face. Why go through the hassle when you can just enjoy the sun taking a break? Cloudy is a blessing.

2. The sounds

Picture it. Night has come and you drink a hot cup of tea and curl up in bed and you hear it. The rain is hitting through, serenading you to sleep. It's calm, it's peaceful, and nothing else matters in the world because we are all laying in bed listening to the rain, leaving everything outside of your four walls unimportant. If it wasn't so calming, people wouldn't use rain sounds to study or fall asleep to.

3. Free water for plants

I can't count the number of times I've heard my mom say in the middle of summer "It's going to rain tomorrow, we don't need to water the plants today." It's free labor, it's free water, it makes your life easier and helps the environment flourish. Win-win-win. No rain, no flowers.

4. Rainbows

Ah yes, the old saying that states that "you can't have a rainbow without a little rain". They're right. Something so beautiful and magical that doesn't happen all that often is only brought by the assistance of rain. Something that helps create something so awesome is pretty awesome in itself.

5. Freedom

I have not found many feelings that are more freeing than actually dancing in the rain. Releasing your inhibitions, feeling the rain on your skin. It's great. But actually, leaving all worries behind you to just be a kid again not caring about getting her hair or clothes soaked, it's pretty awesome. It's a different world out there in the rain, and we should all be a part of it.

I am that person who has a strange pull toward the Pacific Northwest because of its climate, who smiles when she wakes up to a grey sky with clouds about to break instead of the clear blue, who feels like she holds her breath at the beginning of winter and doesn't let it go until the first rain of spring graces the earth. Even if you don't agree, there is some merit in learning to love the "gloomy" days that people let drag them down. Find happy in the stormy. It's pretty cool.