Last Wednesday, I went home for Easter break for the third year in a row. And for the third year in a row, I returned to the Hilltop with a distinct sense of dissatisfaction. Not because I didn’t even crack open a textbook over the extra-long weekend (true) or because I’m too old to participate in a nice egg hunt (also true), but because as soon as I exited the airport, I encountered a painful reality: Spring has not yet arrived in the District.
Sure, it may be perfectly sunny outside and overeager, cherry blossom-seeking tourists may have descended upon the Mall and M Street, but I’m still putting on a puffy coat every morning (a little extreme, I will admit). At this time last week, I was consistently shorts-clad, on the beach and otherwise enjoying the balmy 75-degree weather. Washington, take note, please, for the sake of my sanity.
I might be asking for too much (it could be worse), but I know I can’t be the only one feeling this way. The weather has been taunting us for the last month, and I’m sick of it. I feel like “spring fever” is a phrase as worn out and variable as “culture shock,” but for me, the concept has come to represent something quite simple: the collective frustration with the fact that the calendar reads “April,” yet we’re still stuck sitting inside instead of out on Healy Lawn.
Spring at Georgetown is usually defined by balance: between papers, projects, looming finals and the infinite opportunities available for avoiding work; between an unwillingness for the semester to come to an end and the growing anticipation for Georgetown Day and the start of summer; between some semblance of responsibility and thoroughly enjoying all that the warmer weather has to offer. Unfortunately, the lingering chill is tipping the scale in the wrong direction.
I think that most of my disappointment stems from the fact that spring is D.C.’s best season by far. It really seems to come alive in the spring — and I don’t just mean the return of green leaves to the trees or this year’s impending invasion of the 17-year cicadas. (It’s a real thing, Google it.) People emerge from wherever they’ve been hiding all winter wearing brighter clothes and far fewer layers, there always seems to be something to do, and everyone seems genuinely happy for the first time in a few months.
It might sound like a simple equation, but it’s true: Spring makes everything better. As a result, I’ve composed a short list of my favorite things to do in order to avoid spring stress and Lau. (Note to whatever weather gods designed the snow shower last Wednesday: “Spring activities” do not include snowmen or hot chocolate).
The most simple: Get off-campus and go outside. It’s really nice to grab some friends and some food and walk down to the steps of the National Gallery or even just to the waterfront. Confession — due to a combination of spring allergy flare-ups and a strong dislike of slow-moving groups of tourists, I’ve never actually seen the cherry blossoms, but I hear they’re also kind of nice.
Start a new exercise regimen. It’s beautiful outside! Run to the monuments and beyond! Train for a 10K! For the less ambitious (e.g., me), bike rides are lovely, too.
Alternatively, explore neighborhoods and places you’ve never been before by experimenting your way through The Washington Post’s restaurant list. I’m partial to the “Best Milkshakes,” “Best Cheese Plates” and “Best Burgers” sections.
Leave D.C. entirely since spring weekends provide the best opportunity. Take a Zipcar for a mini roadtrip. Go backpacking or rafting with Outdoor Ed. Visit a friend at another school. You might miss out on some reading, but you won’t regret it.
Of course, little else compares to the simple joys of a good book, some music, a few friends and a picnic on Healy Beach. Here’s to hoping that by the time this is published, the world has righted itself and that’s where you are reading this now.
Audrey Wilson is a junior in the School of Foreign Service. CULTURE SHOCK appears every other Friday in the guide.
