A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight, walking in a Winter Wonderland

Even in the midst of college talk, political news, and natural disasters, many people consider the changing of the seasons to be noteworthy news. And as the leaves continue to fall and the autumn months fade to winter, I can’t help but notice the incessant complaining about the hardships of this season.

Personally, I have always loved the winter. My views on this season have always made me an outcast among my friends and peers, most of who consider the summer to be their favorite season of the year. Don’t get me wrong- summer is fantastic. Warm weather, beach getaways, cold lemonade and watermelon, country music, tanned skin, a 10-week break from school, and days on end with nothing to do but lounge around. What’s not to love? But despite all that the June, July, and August months have to offer, summer is still second to winter on my list of favorite seasons.

How, you may be wondering, could I possible like the winter? Well, I’ll start with the staple of winter that most people hate: the weather. The chatter I hear around school and see on my twitter feed is evidence enough of people’s dissatisfaction with the coldness in the air.

Must we bundle up in layers to walk from the house to the car?

It is so annoying to have to transition from sandals to boots.

Do I really have to go digging for my winter jacket?

UGH! Had to turn on my heat AND my defroster this morning.

As inconvenient as some of the new routines that come with winter may be, I still enjoy the low temperatures. I feel the most comfortable in sweatshirts and boots and, contrary to popular belief, turning on the heat and defroster in the morning is not as daunting of a task as some would think. Instead of dreading the annual reappearance of your winter jacket and attire, have fun with it! Winter gives everyone the opportunity to try out hats and scarves and gloves, making it, in my opinion, even better than summer trends and fashions.

The best part of winter weather is obviously the snow. In Maryland, the amount of snowfall we get is usually pretty inconsistent from year to year. But typically, we get at least one wonderful winter snowstorm. I have always loved the way the soft, white blanket of snow looks first thing in the morning, before it has been tainted by the hands of eager children and the wheels of aggressive snowplows. Even now, seeing snow brings back jubilant memories from when I was younger, sledding in the backyard and making igloos with my brother, eating snow by the fistfuls, and finally, when we could no longer feel our fingers or toes, coming inside to a delicious cup of hot chocolate.  

And once I get over the nostalgia of my childhood winters, I still like to frolic through the snow with friends, make snow cones, go sledding, or take a trip to any nearby ski resort to go skiing or tubing.

Aside from the snow, winter also brings with it many other exciting and worthwhile activities. Ice-skating with friends is always an enjoyable experience, allowing groups of friends to bond and laugh. Another entertaining thing to do in the winter is attend basketball games, a favorite of my family’s. Whether you go to a professional game, college game, or your high school’s game, attending basketball matches with friends or family will always put you in an energy-filled environment that gets you excited about winter.

Another attribute of winter that keeps it at the top of my list of favorite seasons is the moods and feelings that are associated with this marvelous time of the year. Placed on the calendar to follow thanksgiving and precede the blooming of spring’s first flowers, winter is the setting for celebration, happiness, togetherness, and hope.

Many important holidays fall during the winter months, bringing families together to laugh, talk, pray, eat, give thanks, and enjoy each other’s company. The idea of togetherness is even more encouraged by winter when the weather keeps people inside. I know that I have shared many winter days watching movies, playing board games, or just talking for hours with my family and friends.

After the holidays, winter is host to the bringing in of the New Year. And the New Year celebration is nothing if not a beacon of hope for people everywhere. It is a chance for positive change, forgiveness, and new beginnings, all things that I wholeheartedly support and believe in. Whether the leaving year has brought you successes beyond your most ambitious of dreams or adversity beyond your capacity to overcome, the winter brings you a New Year with a chance to reflect and refresh.

Of course, all seasons come with their wonders and downfalls and I understand that winter follows suit. I can even sympathize with the difficult transition in weather, routines, and schedules. I only wish that people would try to see the amazing things that winter has to offer instead of adopting the ‘grass is always greener in the summertime’ approach to viewing the seasons. (Yes I know, technically the grass is greener in summertime so that was a poor example but nevertheless; I hope you understand my point.) Whether we like it or not, as long as the Earth is rotating around the sun, winter is here to stay along with its cold weather. But if being miserable for a quarter of the calendar year is not something that interests you, try looking on the bright side and choosing something to look forward to or be happy about. If we take in all the marvels of this season and discover reasons to celebrate, we can all find ourselves walking in a winter wonderland.