It was just another early Tuesday morning, but as the painfully loud sound of my fifth alarm went off, things felt different. The harsh glow of my phone illuminated my otherwise pitch black room as I look up the days weather forecast.

Tuesday, February 20th, 55 degrees and rain. 55 degrees.
The warmest day of the year so far.
I feel my heart flutter in my chest and a smile wipes over my face. Today was going to be a good day.

What usually takes me ten minutes to get myself out of bed only took me two. I reached under my dresser for the shoe box that hadn't moved since Christmas Day and blew the dust off the lid. I open the box and take my time to admire the perfect pair of shoes inside. Today, this perfect pair of blue strappy sandals looked brighter in color than usual, as if they knew today was finally the day both of us had been waiting for. I strap my purple painted toes into my new shoes and throw my hair up into a careless bun, ready to face the day.

As soon as I step outside, I light up. The rain felt refreshing on my skin and woke me up. The warm breeze felt like a heat wave compared to past weeks. I attempt the two feet jump into my lifted car and set my keys in the ignition.        Empty tank.       I didn't mind. I was ahead of schedule anyway.

I plug my phone into the overused aux and turn on my "specifically only for unusually warm days" country music playlist. The only time I prefer listening to country. I pull out of my driveway and notice the sky looking brighter than usual. It was one of those just after winter days where you can physically tell that the days are getting longer just by the color of the sky when you head to school in the morning.

I sing myself all the way to the gas station with the windows cracked open so I could get a small taste of the warm air without being overpowered by the wintery winds. With my new, confidence boosting sandals, I hop out of my car and head straight to the back of the store to fill up on frozen sugary syrups. Coke and orange crème for me and coke and cherry for my best friend, my way of sharing my happiness. It made me feel good to spread around my good mood.

It's days like these that I fall in love with. After living in a winter wonderland for months now, even the slightest bit of warmth is appreciated.

And there I am, full tank, music blasting, sandals on my feet and a smile on my face. I didn't mind the rain, I didn't mind going to school. Today was a good day.

Thursday, February 22nd, 20 degrees and snow

welcome to Michigan