The Thing About Spring...
The Winter Blues
About halfway into every winter I always find myself wondering why I feel so depressed. This winter in Asheville was an especially brutal one, with multiple snowstorms, tons of rain and temperatures through most of January residing well below freezing. There were mornings where I struggled to find the motivation to even get out of bed! Of course I always deal with some level of depression throughout the rest of the year, but it always seems so much more pronounced from about November through March.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD as it's commonly referred to, may sound like a joke, but it affects at least 10 million Americans. By definition, SAD is the recurrence of an abnormally depressed mood triggered by a specific season each year. Most people experience SAD during the winter months, but it isn't unheard of for people to show symptoms in the summer, either.
Is it Spring Yet?
If you're like me, you get way too excited for Spring on the first sunny, 50 degree day. In western North Carolina, that day is usually sometime in early March, but it can be even earlier. The thing about Spring, though, is it is the most frustrating season of them all. Just as you're thinking Spring arrived in the nick of time because you can't take any more winter, the next day drops below freezing and stays cold as hell for another week.
The Many Seasons of Spring
In Asheville, Spring isn't just one season—it's about four. That first Spring day in early March I was talking about? That's Fool's Spring. It's a mean trick. You get a taste of warm, sunny, back porch days, then BAM! Winter's back—until Spring decides to make it's second appearance, which is usually around the end of March. You think you'd know better than to get your hopes up a second time, but you rationalize that this is North Carolina and it should be warm by now, but nope—it's the Spring of Deception! Just as the name implies, the Spring of Deception tricks you into thinking Winter's over. This year in Asheville, we experienced our Spring of Deception back in late March when we had almost a straight week of partly sunny days with temps in the high 60s and low 70s. Then there's western North Carolina's infamous Mud Season, which can range anywhere from the beginning of March and end as late as the first week of June. Mud Season, as its name implies, is when the earth is in a constant state of absorption, soaking up all of the April and May rains and turning the ground into one giant mud pit. After all, in case you forgot, Asheville is adjacent to a temperate rainforest. Finally, once the rains have mostly ceased, there's a week of sunny days in the high 70s. This week—well, this week is called Actual Spring. Enjoy it, because once it's over, summer arrives in all of its sweltering glory.
*Special thanks to Asheville Brewing Co for their Instagram Spring graphic: @ashevillebrewingco
