I’m someone who is heavily affected by changes in the weather, as much as I hate to admit it. From December to March, the heavy gray clouds and colorless scenery instill in me a sense of listlessness that I find nearly impossible to shake. I thrive in warm, vibrant climates. Unfortunately, Ohio can only provide this environment for a fraction of the year, and so during the colder months, I suffer.

The snow and plummeting temperatures alone are enough to depress me, but this winter I had additional problems to worry about. I needed to find an affordable apartment and a new job ASAP, and on top of that I was doing my best to keep up with a full schedule of classes and an internship. And speaking of internships, did I mention that I needed to find another one of those, too/ In order to graduate a year early I had a handful of extra requirements that I needed to fulfill. I was starting to drown, so to speak, and lacking the motivation to swim my way to shore—let alone keep my head above water.

I had a lot to worry about, to say the least. And nobody was willing to sympathize. My parents and even my boyfriend’s parents all wanted to know when I was going to start working again and why I wasn’t trying harder to find a job. Everyone seemed to think that laziness was the real problem and that I was sitting around twiddling my thumbs waiting for my problems to resolve themselves. In reality, I was hustling to make straight As and trying to keep up with the demands of my internship. I was crying all the time and seemingly without reason. I stressed myself out so much that I genuinely felt like the world was going to end.

I knew something had to give—and finally, something did. My luck began to change right as the weather started to improve. My boyfriend and I found a cute little apartment at a reasonable price, and we signed our first lease together. I got hired as a waitress the day before spring break, and then spent my entire spring break working a 50 hour week at my old job in my hometown. I even planned a vacation for the following week with my best friend, because lord knows I needed sunshine and beach vibes, stat. And to top it all off, I even managed to schedule an interview for a summer internship.

Ohio winters suck, but they always end eventually. This winter was harder than usual for me, but I’m proud that it didn’t keep me down. I found comfort and motivation in little moments here and there, in unusually sunny days and in warm cups of coffee, and I took advantage of those moments to make up for the moments I laid in bed and cried. I wasn’t perfect, and I made mistakes, but I pushed myself to accomplish the things that I needed to. And now, springtime feels that much sweeter, because it’s paired with a sense of personal pride and victory.