People are sometimes surprised when I say I like spring more than summer, but in my opinion, we’ve entered the best season of the year.
There are a lot of things I like about spring. First and foremost, it represents the end of winter, and the time of year when the snow and cold is behind us.
The days are getting longer, which I love. I always get slightly sad when we’ve passed the Summer Solstice because it means the days will start to get shorter.
The temperature is also more favourable in spring compared to summer. While it is warm enough for some restaurants and bars to open their patios, it’s still cool enough to enjoy a hot drink, such as a tea or hot chocolate, at a café or during a walk. In the summer, I find that pastime loses its appeal.
Another knock against summer is that the leather seats in my car become scorching, despite the window cover I bought last year to prevent such a thing from occurring.
Though I like the thought of living in a tropical paradise where it is always warm and never snows, the truth is, I struggle with hot weather, even when the temperature reaches the mid-20s. I have fair skin that burns easily and I get heat stroke more often than most. I tend to be at my most comfortable when the temperature is in the low- to mid-teens – otherwise known as “sweater weather.”
I realize some of my arguments for spring could also be made for why fall is the best time of year. I do enjoy some aspects of fall, but I find knowing winter is just around the corner takes away from it.
Spring also means the start of the outdoor soccer season. I’m planning to play on a men’s team in Calgary for the first time in a couple of years, and am looking forward to our games starting in early May.
As a sports fan, this time of year is also exciting – European soccer leagues are coming to a close, when domestic title races are on the line, and the UEFA Champions League is entering the semi-final stage. For North American leagues like the NHL and the NBA, spring is also when the leagues enter into playoff mode.
As the sports writer for this paper, spring also brings with it a set of new sports to write about. While I’ve enjoyed covering hockey, basketball, curling, ringette and other winter sports for the past several months, I’m excited to spend more time outside, attending events and shooting photos at soccer pitches, ball diamonds, athletic tracks and football fields.
