one time, it was sort of hot.

Let's talk about Texas.

Today was a day for nostalgia. I often fall back onto summer memories of warmth dissolving into my clothes and draping softly on my legs on days like today.

And I have to say that when I check Dallas weather on my weather app and see that it's 75 degrees in February, and we're getting maybe to 40, you know, on the average day, I can't help but feel a little bitter.
So that's been fun for me.

 Do you wanna know an interesting factoid about Dallas? It has the #1 Riskiest Weather. I just learned that today. So if you can't handle a little danger in your life, don't move to Dallas. I'm kidding. Don't move to Dallas for other reasons.

Name a disaster. Earthquakes, Tornados, Hurricanes, Severe Flooding, Droughts. Come on down to Texas, we'll git ya fixed up.  And my god, I'm not over-exaggerating about how brutal the summers are. I'm not just being a giant grouch.  There's a great Texan game: is today going to be picture perfect, like a crisp, spring afternoon, or is today the day we all see if our sidewalks are hot enough to fry eggs on (spoiler alert, it was once I think).

The heat lasts till October and November. I used to "run" cross country.
And for some reason, these dipwads that were in charge of our cross-country meets decided to schedule our races at 4 pm in the afternoon.

Fellas, this isn't your grandmother's September afternoon. In Texas, the saying goes that September is the "less hot version of August" which tons of younger siblings everywhere can relate to. But it's still like 85 degrees and HUMID on a typical afternoon in September. So yeah, then they made a bunch of, granted, very stupid middle schoolers run up and down a terrible and evil hill for two miles and then were kind of surprised when most of us peed on ourselves or passed out. Honestly, we were all terrified that each race, we'd be "that" person, you know, the one who fainted about a mile in from dehydration and heat exhaustion.

But anyway, on days like today, I just crave a little sunlight. And I think my favorite warm days I like to think back on are the ones where I'm lifeguarding and there's nobody in the pool, and I can close my eyes behind my favorite heart-shaped sunglasses, and irresponsibly forget where I am. My skin is absolutely radiating in that point, like I can actually feel that sweet sweet Vitamin D.

I think about that one day when I was six and my cousin and I were racing on a boardwalk at the beach and she was so much faster than me, and she ran into a pole and busted her lip open. I saw her first because our parents were lagging behind, and I start freaking out. My face is all flushed in the picture my Aunt Ida has. I have a little bit of sand in my hair. That was in July I think.

I think I might love falls in Pennsylvania more. You guys don't realize how much color nature is letting you see.  Ya'll are lucky you have so many trees and such green grass that is all healthy and soft. It's just perfect Easter Egg hunting grass.


But I guess when it's warm, I just feel better. I associate warmth with the end of school. The beginning of freedom. My best stories are 9/10 times from the summer.

And soon, I will be home. And I'm going to freaking hate it. I'll be the first one complaining to my mom and dad, telling them how much I miss being a temporary Northerner. How much I miss the cool weather. You know what they say though, the grass is always greener.

But I actually do think the grass here is greener.