If you live in the Midwest, you’ll always have something to complain about with your fellow Midwesterners: the weather. All of us know what it’s like to go through four season in one day, making it impossible to know how to dress. Discomfort becomes commonplace, not to mention the brutal winters that only seem to be getting worse by the year (in case you’ve forgotten the polar vortex situation of 2k14). Living near Lake Michigan doesn’t help at all. The Windy City should be named “The City of Winds that Will Make Breathing Painful.” Without a doubt, parts of it suck a great deal.

However. I love the bipolar weather that us Midwesterners brave year round for a multitude of reasons.

Firstly, it’s way too much fun listening to people from places like Cali and Florida whine about weather below 50 degrees. This is self explanatory.

You can also talk about the weather and it won’t be because you’re stuck in an awkward situation. Lengthy discussions about how walking to class is like watching an interactive version of Ice Age is completely fine and not frowned upon by Midwest society, unless that’s all you talk about. It’s a beautiful thing to walk across campus, lock eyes with a stranger, and nod sympathetically because you know exactly what type of hell they are going through. Makes for quite the amicable bonding experience, really.

However, the best thing about our crazy Midwest weather, amidst the bipolar four-season days and the bitter wind, is when we step outside after a long winter and are surprised to finally have a beautiful day. Oh, blessed be this magical first day of spring! It is between 65 and 75 degrees and everything in the world just seems right and beautiful and nothing could possibly ruin it. Like a few weeks ago.

Until it begins raining or something again in a few hours. What were you expecting, that this would last? C’mon now.