What does it mean when the sun finally appears after the long rain of winter?
Olympia is one of the rainiest cities in Washington, so be prepared for this!
As someone coming from California, which is constantly in a state of drought (even when it does rain), I love the rain. It taps into deep adolescent memories of going months on end without rain. And then suddenly a rainy day would hit, pure joy would bloom, and I’d run outside without shoes on to feel the mist on my skin.
This is now the conditioned response I experience every time it rains. Even on days where I don’t enjoy it as much, the moment I step outside and smell wet asphalt, something automatically switches inside me. I’m utterly content in rain.
However, this isn’t everyone’s experience. And even as a lover of rain, I still need a balance of sun.
The long, dark winters here have taught me to appreciate the sun very much. And every time I return home, or whenever the sun comes out in Olympia, I’m compelled to drink it in as much as possible.
This week, we got several days of extremely warm whether in a row. Yesterday even hit the 80s.
It was such a relief. Suddenly, the campus was alive with people, lounging around Red Square or on the Lower Field. Classes were held outside. The trails were full of people and emerald green trees. I saw one class doing an activity that involved chalking up the bricks. And people even came out to play music and serve orange juice. Everyone was wearing tank tops and shorts, sunglasses and dresses. I definitely got burned (don’t forget to put on sun screen no matter what your skin looks like!). However, it’s evening out into a bronze color now, a taste of the warm Spring and Summer to come.
Today it’s cold and rainy again, but this pocket of sun is only the beginning.
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