With the recent warming of the weather and increased excitement of just how close summer is, my strong opinions have again risen. I’m an opinionated person across the board, however, the seasons are a particular point of contention. As you can read in the title, I’m a staunch summer hater. Like, a hater hater. Unfortunately, you’ll have to read on to discover my reasoning.
Fall
It only felt right to begin with fall. For us students, fall is the season of new beginnings instead of spring. This is when we begin our academic year, leveling up to the next grade/year, a poetic juxtaposition with fall often representing decay. Fall is the facilitator of the dwindling year, providing an aesthetic backdrop of fog, orange foliage, and layered fashion. The air becomes crisper with a faint whisper of decadent pumpkin spice from your nearest Starbucks. Truly, fall is a work of art. Despite this, fall doesn’t hold the top spot of my favorite season. The unpredictability of this transitional season’s weather with unexpected heat waves knocks fall down to second place.
Winter
In successive order, winter is next for review. The aesthetic of winter is by far the most diverse. There’s the winter wonderland of sparkling white snow and glittering ice that exudes magic and wonderment, preserving flowers and life under a layer of frost. Underneath this quietly beautiful facade is a deep churn of sinister darkness. Winter is often connected to death and accompanied with images of barren trees, the lack of leaves symbolizing a lack of life. There is beauty in complicatedness, winter’s multifaceted strengths and aesthetics are most enchanting. The coziness of fall increases tenfold and this is when the turtlenecks come out. Not to mention, Bob Ross’ winter landscapes are always the most beautiful to me. And here we are, my favorite season.
Spring
Another transitional season of unpredictable weather complementary to fall, spring is symbolic rebirth. Flowers begin to bloom, the weather warms, and the days grow longer. Similarly to fall, we experience the opposite of what we are supposed to in spring. Instead of new beginnings, students end their academic years and begin their rest and recharge for the next one. While spring is the harbinger of flourishing nature, spring is also the harbinger of allergies, causing the suffering of many. Spring would otherwise be tied with fall for second place, but since I am one of many with horrible allergies, spring is unfortunately demoted.
Summer
We have finally made it to summer which I would even classify as an enemy of mine. Yes, an entire season that returns in an eternal cycle is one of my enemies. The bright sun, intense heat, and sticky sweat that never go away are too stimulating, draining my energy and sending me into a bout of Seasonal Affective Disorder like clockwork every year. The weather and even further the fashion of summer requires everyone to put their bodies on display, inciting fear of criticism and judgement based on how conventionally attractive you are or aren’t. And on top of all of this, for any introvert out there, summer also brings peer pressure to spend more time outside being social than their emotional bandwidth might be able to handle. In general, summer is a dud of a season and deserves its place dead last.