The Paw Print

By Cecilia Valdez and Chloe Wilson

1) The difficulty of deciding whether to dress so that you are warm outside and risk dying of heat exhaustion inside, or getting to school/work partly frozen and having to spend your day thawing and chilled.

Photo by Dogbertio 14

2) The mix of chills and sweat while shoveling that provide the biggest temptation to go inside, take a warm shower, and make hot chocolate.

Photo by Washington Times

3) Feeling like Ralphie’s little brother in “Home Alone” as you bundle up in layers after layers to go outside.

 

Courtesy of smilingbagel.com

4) Trying to get anywhere without slipping on slush, ice, snow or any other treacherous form of water.

 

Photo by AFP/Getty Images

5) Christmas decorations start the day after Halloween.

 

Photo by festival-images.designdecor.in

6) The “saved-my-parking-spot-with-a-plastic-chair” people whom you hate but respect at the same time.

Photo by CJ Gunther, epa

7) Twenty degrees is warm, and the real temperature is always ten degrees lower than what the weather person says because of wind chill.

 

Photo by Chicago Weather Center

8) The wild goose chase for the ever-elusive Christmas train and the rush of childish excitement when you even catch a glimpse of it.

 

Photo by Chicago Journal

9) The workout of going up stairs in snow boots. Or really just going anywhere in snow boots.

 

Photo by adventurejay.com

10) The mind games Chicago winter plays with it being two degrees one day and forty the next.

 Photo by CBS Chicago

11) The rush of anticipation for the holidays that come with the Magnificent Mile Lights and the Zoo Lights.

 

Photo by http://www.chicagonow.com

12) In order to become a true Chicagoan, you must experience a full Chicago winter. Like Garrett’s popcorn, deep dish pizza, and the Cubs, it is one of the things that gives the city much more personality than New York.

 Photo by envisionaire.com