Most people I encounter agree that winter is a pretty unpleasant time of the year and look forward to warmer days.

A group of people does exist though, that can’t get enough of the snowy nightmare that occurs this time each year. “I love the way it looks,” they say, or, “I like the change in weather!”

As it so happens, I don’t feel any love for the climate and the barren landscape it creates.

It’s just cold. Walking outside can cause you to recoil to preserve heat, and anytime you spend sheltering from the outside temperature is a relief.

When you are forced to face the outdoors, it is necessary to bundle yourself  in multiple layers and cover as much your body as possible.

You have to create armor for yourself just so the air doesn’t hurt you. And if there is — God help us — any wind blowing, the air will attack you. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be somewhere where the air doesn’t cause me harm. Even after you escape the terrible conditions, your ears or fingers will throb in pain for an extended period of time.

Next, no matter what anyone says, winter is not a pretty season. Sure, I’ll admit that a fresh layer of snow is nice to look at, but this image doesn’t last. What happens is the snow is cleared from roads and walkways into large ugly piles usually mixed with mud, leaves and perhaps some garbage for decoration.

On the flip side, the snow melts, but not completely. Now there is this slush, still mixed with mud, leaves and the beautiful garbage, all over the place. It’s splashing around, getting on your pants and forcing you to buy some stain remover to remove the filth from your clothes.

To give some scientific backing as to why winter gets no respect from me, let’s talk about seasonal affective disorder, which is appropriately abbreviated to SAD. Essentially, this disorder causes people to become depressed in fall and winter.

Do you know why this happens? It’s certainly not because things are getting better outside.

It’s because their brains know that they get to look forward to the icy desolation of the upcoming months. What makes those who suffer from this condition feel better? Spring and summer, I wonder why.

All of this is coming from someone who came to North Carolina from New Jersey primarily for a warmer climate, and boy am I disappointed.

I thought I could escape multiple layers and slipping on ice, but I suppose this was naive. Maybe one day mankind can fix the earth’s axis and end all seasons so we don’t have to suffer through this one.