Spring, Spring, Spring!

It’s been a weird year for seasons so far. The winter was mild, too mild almost, that it hardly appeared to be winter. Then spring arrived very early and almost immediately morphed into summer, with record high temperatures. We’re not even done with March! I know March has the saying “in like a lion, out like a lamb”, but this is a bit much, isn’t it? Don’t get me wrong, I do love summer weather, but when it’s summer!* I love every single season, which is why I’m happiest when living in temperate climates. Skipping over seasons isn’t something I’m thrilled about.

It’s true that last winter was an overload of snow and cold, with several records being broken, but I still had mixed feelings about this year’s extremely mild winter. Although I didn’t want as much snow as last year and I was significantly stressed out at the idea of driving in the snow, I missed all that sparkling white beauty, I really did. I missed bundling up in warm coats, scarves, gloves and hats. I missed drinking hot chocolate regularly. I missed the cold air stinging my face, flushing my cheeks and reinvigorating me. Oh, I know these summer temperatures won’t last and it will get cooler again (which indeed it has), but I think winter has begun its long slumber and spring has awoken.

As much as I would have liked a more ‘conventional’ winter, I cannot complain about spring being here, as I really do love this season. I do hope we’ll have more spring-like temperatures though, because something I love very much about spring and autumn too is the freshness of the weather. They are beautiful, crisp days, perfect for going for walks, playing out doors, exploring new places – without getting too hot or too cold. Another thing I love about those two seasons is the color palette they allow our eyes to feast on. Completely different colors and tones, but both equally and uniquely breathtaking. Probably the most beautiful place I’ve seen so far in the spring is Paris. Trees bloom all over the city and the suburbs, lining the streets with bursts of white and all shades of pink. The flowers basins all over the city and in all the parks overflow with the most spectacular varieties of flowers, rich in color and texture. At the beginning of spring, daffodils carpet every available green space. It is as if the entire city blossoms and awakens with the arrival of spring.

Last year I experienced my first spring in Connecticut, and I was very pleasantly surprised. Trees that I had only seen with colored leaves in the fall and naked in the winter turned out to have magnificent spring blossoms. I’m so lucky to see many of these trees from my windows and they put on a spectacular show. From one day to the next, tiny buds burst into beautiful flowers, making the trees explosions of white, pastel pink and fuchsia. The fuchsia and darker pink blossoms are my favorites. Daffodils color the ground at the beginning of spring, and are later joined by so many other flowers, and bushes bursting with such shades of pink, red and orange flowers that they seem to be on fire.

Yes, spring here is indeed beautiful and I’m looking forward to enjoying it again. I could probably go on some more, but maybe I should leave something to write later, as spring is only just beginning!

Happy spring!

* At time of writing, it was HOT, at time of posting, not so much…But at least it’s a beautiful sunny day with a gorgeous blue sky! Happy spring indeed! 🙂