Every year I am forced to say the same sad goodbye. Every year I am faced with the reality that I have to shove my winter layers into the back of my closet until it starts to get chilly again. Every year I find myself digging in the bathroom cabinets to find the razor I haven’t even considered using since at least last November.
Winter is the best. It’s the only time of year that you can wear a sparkly, oversized reindeer sweater with very minimal judgement from your peers. It’s the only time of year that you can stick a plaid turtleneck under that reindeer sweater, then also wear your favorite sweatshirt and your big puffy winter coat over the top of that while ingesting a steaming hot caramel macchiato without feeling like you are going to swelter and die. It’s also the only time of year when you can unabashedly eat every sugary thing in sight and not have to worry about your waistline because sweaters that fit like a muumuu are so in.
The best part of winter has got to be the accessories. Matching scarf and hat sets give my soul a reason to sing, especially when those accompanying hats have a little knit pompom on the top. Gloves that have the little multicolored finger pads that let you obsessively message your best friend about the new hot cocoa flavor you just had without freezing your fingers are the ultimate deliverer of complete happiness. Socks that both keep your feet nice and toasty and look really cute poking out the top of your waterproof boots make me wish that I could click my heels. The fact that I am wearing 35 extra pounds of clothing gives me an excuse to hide the fact that I can’t actually click my heels. Don’t even get me started on the waterproof boots. They come in so many colors, have so many different shoelace design options and come with so much fluff on the inside that you almost forget the risk frostbite carries when you walk across campus late at night in the dead of December.
Unfortunately, winter comes and then winter goes. The snow melts and the sun starts shining like it hadn’t forgotten that it has a job all winter long. With that, comes the need to peel back the layers—if for no other reason than the fact that limp sweaty string bean is not a good look on anyone.
So I’ll finally shave my legs again, and I’ll put my happy texting gloves in the box labeled “Pride and Joy” and I’ll pull my shorts out of the back of the closet where my winter coat is about to take their place. And I will slowly but surely count down the days until I can stick my favorite knit socks out of the top of my waterproof fuzzy boots.
Hello, Spring. I guess I’m ready.