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It’s finally spring in Chicago. The students are getting a bit rowdy, the weather is slightly less cold, and people are outside. A few weeks ago, we got our first nice bout of weather, when temperatures soared over their perpetual state of hovering around freezing for two months. It was in the fifties, so I took the time to go for a run, outside, in shorts and a t-shirt. Maybe that was a little too gung-ho, but I was training for the Shamrock Shuffle, an 8K that was held on March 30th, and I wanted to just run outside. I’ve been training for this race for weeks, and I have come to learn that running makes me think of my writing a lot and helps me work out problems.

But this is a post about spring and Chicago. If you’re planning to come to Columbia in the fall or if you’ve been here awhile, it is important to note to never waste a beautiful day. You have to remember the warmth of the sun, the feeling of being outside with friends tossing a frisbee in the park or sitting on the beach with some sandwiches and wine or catching a free movie outside of a museum. It’s also a time of festivals, goofing off with friends, and exploring neighborhoods.

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Learn to love the spring. It sometimes rains and is dreary (but, hey, it’s washing away the snow and ice!) and it sometimes is 35 degrees when you’re at a baseball game (like I was yesterday), but it’s gorgeous. It was cold yesterday, but the sun was out and the sky was blue and I was just happy to be outside for four hours. These chilly springs segue into warmer springs, which lead to awesome Chicago summers and lovely falls, and then, like the water tower in Andersonville, the nice weather is gone and it gets so cold that you learn what a “Polar Vortex” is. So, get out there and enjoy the Spring, MarginAliens.

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