With summer approaching quickly, one of the crazy things to think about is that Christmas was over four months ago.
I miss the trees, the lights, the snow, and the joy.
But, I absolutely do not miss the miserable cold weather.
When it’s always cold and dark outside, a month with 31 days can easily seem like 31 years.
January always seems to drag on, February has a few breaks from school here and there but not enough to make me enjoy the month, and then March (my least favorite month) seems to last even longer than January.
Once we reach April, we finally see signs of spring.
Weather above freezing, daylight until 7 p.m., spring sports, flowers and trees blooming, the fresh smells, and the light at the end of the school year tunnel.
All of these things are ways that I can tell that it is officially spring.
Sometimes here in PA, we can get lucky and experience all of these in March.
This year was not one of those years, and it was slow, but we have finally hit the point where the seasonal depression is wearing off.
It’s springtime!
Temperature
When it’s boiling hot on a summer day and you’re doing chores outside, you might find yourself reminiscing about the winter and how nice and cold it was.
I am guilty of this, and I will also admit that when it actually comes time for these temperatures we dreamed of from June to August, I am all of a sudden begging for summer back.
It’s a never ending cycle that I know I can’t really help myself from falling into year after year.
2025 is no different.
You should ask my friends and family how many times I have said:
“I’m freezing,”
“It’s way too cold in here,” or
“I miss summer.”
I’ll let you know right now that it is WAY too many.
As soon as the temperature reached 50 degrees I was wearing my shorts to school.
There is just something so healing about going down to my storage closet at home and getting my bin labeled, “Lindsay’s Summer Clothes.”
Daylight
The dreaded words “Daylight Saving” makes me feel nauseous.
I’m 17 years old, and I still don’t understand it.
Blah, blah, blah science stuff. I know, but a teenage girl needs her beauty sleep.
I love my cozy bed too much to lose an hour of sleep every spring.
The first few days are rough, and it’s all students and teachers can talk about at school as we work through our yawns and heavy eyes.
Then, there’s a breakthrough.
Suddenly it’s not getting dark right after school, and we have an hour of extra daylight.
Then two hours.
Then three hours.
And eventually it’s light out until past 7 o’ clock.
I can’t speak for everyone, but I know that extra daylight makes me more productive.
I go shopping, hang out with friends, do my homework, open windows, and clean while listening to music.
It’s a total game changer when it’s not pitch black outside at 4:30.
Sports
Baseball, softball, track and field, and tennis are the biggest spring sports here at Montoursville.
Student athletes start leaving school early because they are excused for meets and games.
This actually has zero impact on the rest of the students, except for the fact that it is a huge sign that we have finally made it out of the dead of winter.
Going to these events after school is the perfect activity to kill time after classes.
Obviously we’re all trying to avoid our homework for as long as possible, so what better way to do that than go and have fun supporting our friends?
Spring Blooms
Plants are actually very symbolic of how humans are during the different seasons.
Flourishing and being their brightest selves during summer, winding down and getting tired in the fall, shriveling and breaking off during winter, and then finally starting to bloom again into the best versions of themselves in the spring.
So when plants start to grow back, I start to grow back.
I’m not sleeping all the time, I’m not constantly sad (unless I’m thinking about my friends graduating soon), and I have gotten my petals back.
The grass starts to get greener, the trees start to gain flowers, birds are building their nests in the trees, and it is probably the most beautiful way to say hello to the new season.
Scents of Springtime
Everyone has their weird, unique, scent that they secretly enjoy.
Some people like the smell of tires, chlorine, or puppy breath.
You can argue these for days, but one that pretty much everyone has to agree on is the combination of smells on a warm spring afternoon.
The mixture of freshly cut grass, the neighbors grilling dinner, wet pavement from the rain that morning, and the fruity and floral scents of blooming flowers, all come together to create the aroma of a perfect spring day.
If there was a candle that could perfectly encapture these smells and the feelings they give you, I would have one in every room of my house.
Studies have shown that smelling something pleasant can help with brain function, due to it boosting your mood and improving your memory as you age.
That is why smell is so important, and why it plays such a huge, but overlooked, role in our spring season.
End of the School Year
Seasonal depression is not just present in adults.
It affects teenagers too, and when our moods go down, our grades go down with them.
When springtime rolls around, our moods go up, so guess what?
Our grades go up!
Teachers are wrapping up lessons and giving us last minute tests before AP exams and final projects.
“So close, yet so far,” could not be a more accurate statement at this time in the year.
As fun as it is to go out and participate in activities after a long winter stuck inside, you can’t fall behind because of your summer vacation jitters!
Stay caught up with assignments, so that the waning weeks left of the school year fly by unlike winter did!
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