I have spent my entire life living in the south. Vicksburg is the farthest north I have every lived and the majority of my life has been spent in south Georgia and Florida.

But no matter how much time I spend in the region, I just can’t quite learn to love the heat.

I much prefer when there is a little nip in the air, I can open my windows and throw on a sweater. Typically, I end up spending 11 and a half months wearing shorts and leaving my coats in the closet.

I will be spending much of the next two weeks in Florida celebrating my Dad’s retirement and hanging out with family. My sister has one goal while we are in town — weather permitting — spend time at the beach.

She moved to Indiana a couple years ago and they have ice-skating and snow, but no sand and waves.

I on the other hand have no desire to go hit the beach, unless it is just for a walk in the evening. I am not a huge fan of the beach in general, but in December there should never be a weather permitting time for me to put on a bathing suit and sun myself in the sand. That is not the outdoor activities this time of year calls for.

My parents had to turn their air conditioner on Wednesday and for December that is ridiculous.

Last year, my sister was sending Snapchats of snow tubing and she has recently been talking about going ice-skating at the Christmas market in her town. I, on the other hand, have been wearing short sleeves. This does not seem fair to me.

I want to be making hot chocolate in the evenings. I’d love to have a fireplace and the need to turn it on. I don’t want to be warm in December. I want to be bundled in a sweater with a beanie on my head.

So needless to say, this week (except for Tuesday’s rain that kept getting my underdressed and unprepared self wet) has been great weather.

Then I learned that there are some forecasts of potential snow flurries. Sign me up. I am all for it.

Lows in the 20s, I am good with that.

I just need a little winter in my life. It gets you in the Christmas season and helps to ring in the season.

So for the next few days I shall enjoy the cool temperatures before packing my shorts and jumping on a plane to Florida. 

Brandon O’Connor is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. You may reach him at brandon.oconnor@vicksburgpost.com.