Dreary

I hate Cincinnati this time of year. For months, and months, and months, and months, and months, and MONTHS, we get nothing but grey, dreary, overcast skies. Everything is shrouded in dim light. I could drive with my headlights on a noon for DAYS on end. When I flew to Florida a few weeks ago, the first thing I noticed as our plane lifted off the ground was the cloud cover as we rose above it. Above that there was a most amazing sight-THE SUN! The rare days that the sun comes out here, I realize I've forgotten what shadows look like. It's not bad enough that it's cold-the kind of cold that cuts through layers of clothing-but it's dead. The excess plant life in this part of the country is breathtakingly beautiful in late spring and summer, and vibrant in the autumn months. When all the leaves are finished descending in November, though, everything reverts to dead. Dead bushes, bare branches, empty flower beds. Usually, there's not even enough snow to cover everything up and make it pretty, so all the 'dead' is laid bare.

This time of year is dreary. It makes me cranky. And honestly-may be the main reason I end up leaving Cincinnati permanently. I love living east of the Mississippi, and really have no intention of ever living on the other side of it again, but I need to get more south than I am here. There are scant few things that I miss about Utah, aside from the people, but the near-constant sunshine is one of them. Even on days when it's windy, snowy, and bitterly cold-the sun shines in Utah almost every day. In my imagination, I have transplanted my future family to the northern part of South Carolina, or the southern part of North Carolina. It's on the eastern seaboard, it has mountains, forests, and the humidity I have grown to appreciate. There are still 4 seasons, but none of them are especially extreme. The best part? SUNSHINE!

I need the sun to come out, weather people. Please? I feel like I might lose my mind very soon if I don't see some shadows.