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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wisconsin chapter.

Reasons why I love Midwest weather and could never live in a Southern state!

I was born and raised in Wisconsin. I know many people who have said when they are older they would like to settle down somewhere that is warmer (typically in the south). I know how brutal our winters are here and how that can definitely be an inconvenience of living in the Midwest, but I would rather keep it than go somewhere that is always warm. This may sound crazy to some, but I have many reasons why I believe this! 

The first one is a little crazy and it may make no sense to other people, but it is something I have always felt: I need my “hibernation” time. I need time to feel like I can rest and not be “on” without feeling bad about it. Winter gives a sort of permission for you to stay inside and be able to chill. It gives you time to reset and relax. It also means that when summer comes and I can be outside, more adventurous, etc., I appreciate it so much more. It gives me something to look forward to, too. 

Another reason I like living in the north is that I really enjoy having all of the seasons. Since I am so used to experiencing each of them every year, I honestly don’t know if I could handle a place that didn’t have that. This is especially important to me when it comes to Christmas time. I can’t imagine going to pick up a tree in hot weather or wearing shorts to my family’s house for Christmas; it just doesn’t seem right. Also, fall is probably my favorite season of all, so I also cannot imagine a place that does not have fall weather, trees changing color or anything of that sort. There are things to appreciate about each season, so getting to experience all of them creates a perfect balance. 

The next reason is that I HATE being hot. Anything above 75 degrees is really pushing it for me. I would take extreme cold over extreme heat any day because at least you can wear many layers. In hot weather, I truly feel like there is no escape. Southern summers are especially unbearable. I will stick with midwest summer weather which, for the most part, is extremely comfortable and very enjoyable. 

Obviously, this is subject to change. Maybe in 10 years I will decide that I can’t take the cold anymore and I would rather bear the heat. As far as I am concerned right now, I would not be able to stand living in a southern state. For me, the pros outweigh the cons. I’ll take a few freezing months over unbearable heat! 

Ella Smith

Wisconsin '26

Hi! My name is Ella and I am a sophomore at UW-Madison studying Psychology and eventually Social Work!