Excuse me for stating the obvious, but it’s absolutely gorgeous outside.

For some reason, I never used to like spring. (I think it had a lot to do with allergies and Portland’s manic-depressive weather gods.) All the new growth and life just didn’t impress me much. But this year, upon returning from spring break visiting my grandparents – in White Plains, New York, where the only green tree for miles in the winter is a cell phone tower disguised as a sequoia – I immediately noticed the blue sky, the slowly budding leaves on bare limbs, the grass trying desperately to repopulate the field my rugby team plays on, and the cherry blossoms casually drifting to the ground (almost as good as those huge snow storms that never hit us this winter).

What was happening? Was this really spring? What strange alien force had taken over our skies and made everything so gosh darn nice?

Of course, the city really hadn’t changed a bit, and soon it was pouring once again. A few cold, wet days of trekking to and from school reassured me that I hadn’t accidentally flown back to the wrong planet, I couldn’t believe that I’d been missing out on beautiful spring days all these years - including the rainy ones. Had it always been this way? Had I really been so ignorant my whole life? How had I managed to constantly overlook it?

I’ve always complained about Portland weather, but when I eventually leave for college, I’ll really miss it. Our summers aren’t deadly, winters are mild, and fall and spring tend to alternate comfortably between warmth and wet. Most of our plants are green all year-round, and deciduous trees get their leaves earlier than they seem to back east. I love seeing blue sky behind the trees on sunny spring days. Even in the rain, the smell of evergreens and the sound of droplets splattering on bright new leaves is delicious. Sure, it’s hard to love the rain when it hasn’t stopped for weeks. But what kind of person can call themselves an Oregonian and not secretly appreciate it?

So go ahead, embrace the sun, the rain, and don’t let finals and IB testing ruin the rest of the school year. Get outside and enjoy this beautiful Portland spring!