Flip-flops or snow boots?

So spring in Denver is strange because the weather is so unreliable. For instance just last week I was laying out in my backyard in my bathing suit trying to tan my Michigan winter skin and within only a few days, we had a foot of snow on the ground and all the neighborhood kids bundled up, found their sleds they'd only used once the whole winter and skated down the hill next to my house. The two extremes are shocking to me and take a little getting used to. Michigan springs are similar in that we'll have some days that are 50's and warm and then the next day may be 30's and snowy, but this is on a whole different level of up and down and back and forth. I have found that rather then watching the weather channel or trying to predict it, I get up in the morning, walk out my front door and stand on the front stoop waving my arms like a bird to feel the air - can I wear flip-flops or snow boots? Maybe I should bring both in my car just in case. I have found dressing in layers is most effective in the springtime in Denver. I am still getting accustomed, I have found myself sweating hot because I chose too warm of a sweater or freezing cold because I grabbed my fleece instead of my North face down coat. Apparently there is a learning curve.



I went for a walk last night and noticed that the plants are even a little confused as to what season it is. There are various stages of leaves coming out. Some trees are well-worn with wisdom and look as though it is the middle of December, not waiting to bud and bloom until much later in the spring, after all the blizzards have blown through. Others maybe got a little too anxious and have already fully bloomed, only to find that they might have made a mistake and now the leaves are browning a little because of the sharp drops in temperatures. I find that I am so anxious for the green and for all the trees to bloom their beautiful leafy green branches that cast beautiful shifting shadows on the green grass. I long for a lush and rich look out my window rather then the stark, abrasive view of brown branches. I want to go to sleep and just hibernate through this stage: the transition stage. I want to rush it and just get to the good stuff. I am ready to pack away the coats, boots and scarves and enjoy a daily warmth. I want to open my windows at night and shed the layers like a butterfly.



Similarly I am in this transition stage as I adjust to living so far away from family, friends, and all the comfort and known that home holds back in Michigan. The weather very much reflects my experience here. There are times that I feel so at home, warm and fully bloomed and then the clouds roll in and down falls snow and I am so chilled and ache for home. It can happen so quickly and there's no predicting it. There are times when I am spending time with good friends here that I feel as though this is home and I've been here for much longer then just a month. And then an hour later I will be driving home and will be hit like a snowstorm with the realities that it takes time to put down roots. I am tempted to curl up in my bed and just push through this transition stage, but in order to enjoy the the sunshine that summer will hold, I need to do the hard work of putting myself out there, meeting new people, and making small talk that will hopefully lead to deep and sincere friendships at some point. You can't go from winter to summer, I have to walk through the sometimes dull and drab springtime that has the promise and potential of summer. There are days that feel like it is here but I find that my moments of transition reflect the ups and downs of the weather here in springtime in Denver.