My Old Friend, the Sun

"Sun Please Shine Again" by Jolby

I am absolutely sick-to-death of dark, wet, and cold weather.  I am pretty sure that I can count on one hand the sunny days Seattle's had in the last 5 months.  And if you're thinking Umm, HELLO!  It's Seattle—you knew it was going to be gray all the time when you chose to move there... What did you think it was gonna be like?!, this is your opportunity to just keep your thoughts to yourself.  I had no problem with the Pacific Northwest weather for the first two winters I was here... But now?  I am downright cranky, you guys, and my vitamin D pills just aren't cutting it anymore.

When I was home a month ago, my father picked me up at the airport and before heading home, we drove around town.  It was about 9 o'clock in the morning and the sun was shining so brightly, it honest-to-God shocked me.  I got out of the car in the middle of a parking lot in Livermore, held out my arms—I'm not kidding you—and just stood there, feeling the sun soak into my skin.  I was like a sun-junkie out of the movie Sunshine; totally and completely addicted to the feeling of warmth and light.

It's true that living in a place with actual seasons makes you appreciate the good weather so much more.  I admit, I never appreciated the sun when I went to school in paradise—more commonly known as UCSB—or when I was growing up in California.  I moved away from that because I really loved rain and cold weather.

But 45ºF in April is absolutely, flat-out unacceptable.

"Sunny rainy city" by Blanca Gomez

The sun is up there.  Warmth is lurking beyond this hovering gray blanket, and I am so ready for it.  I have said numerous times that summer is the reason that I stayed in Seattle as long as I have.  It really can't be beat, on many levels: it's perfectly warm, the city is bustling, everyone is happy, the parks are full of people and their dogs, everything is blooming and lush and green... I am totally in love with summer in Seattle.  It's (dare I say?) even nicer than Santa Barbara.

But after this last winter, it's officially not worth it anymore.  This winter was so bad, and for the first time, I can attribute ALL of the 'bad' to the weather.  I had never felt the effects of weather internally before, and it was a completely foreign type of depression; the way that my sadness and irritability was able to manifest itself on a physical level was pretty horrible.

I can't imagine choosing to deal with it on a regular basis...  I don't know how people in the Northwest deal with such profound heaviness for such a long period of time during the year.  Maybe it's why everyone here is a terrible driver, and why people are so damn passive aggressive—they know that they're stuck in a place with depressing weather and they want everyone else to be miserable too.

Luckily the effects of sunshine are contagious, so all I need do now is wait for it to arrive.  Forecast predicts temperatures may rise to a whopping 53ºF this weekend (I know, so hot), and the sun may actually show his face!  And in true Seattle-style, I will welcome him with the unpleasant sight of me in a skirt and halter top.  Me-ow.

To my friends in California and New York: I envy you.  I wish I was where you are.  I hope you are enjoying your stupid 72.5º weather.  I hope you are getting outside and soaking up the sun and relishing in his loveliness.  I hope you are thanking him for relieving you from a truly awful winter.

Oh, and please, tell him to come find me in Seattle.  He keeps standing me up.

"Looks Like Rain" by Eloise Renouf