Spring is finally here and no one is more excited about it than I am. Each winter, as I pull my coat tighter and walk with shrugged shoulders to conserve body heat, I am convinced I will never see green grass again. Spring always sneaks up on you, throwing a few snowstorms in between 60-degree days. I am crossing my fingers that the warmer weather is here to stay.
    The signs of the season are all around. There are joggers and bikers in their colorful gear to avoid while driving and people are actually out walking around rather than rushing back and forth between their car and a building. The days are longer and 6 p.m. no longer feels like midnight in terms of darkness. On Tuesday, I killed the first mosquito of the season, which may not sound monumental, but after the hypothermia inducing weather we have had of late, I will welcome a mosquito with open arms.
    Sometimes I don’t think I’m cut out for Maine’s climate, although I’ve lived here all my life, except for the duration I was away at college in exotic New Hampshire. On every white knuckle drive through a blizzard, I question why I haven’t transferred my residency to a tropical climate. I’ve always wanted to live on an island and while shoveling three feet of snow I think, “there’s no time better than the present.” Once spring rolls around, however, my mind usually stops thinking about packing my things and starts to think about all of the activities that spring and summer in Maine bring.
    As soon as warm weather hits, I start thinking about going to the beach. It doesn’t matter if it is the ocean or a lake, spending time at the beach is the perfect way to spend a day. Last weekend, myself and a couple of friends decided to head to the ocean because it was one of those days where it is so nice you feel guilty about being indoors. First, we toured Prout’s Neck, taking in the views that most of the homeowners only see three months out of the year. I find it helps to tell yourself that you wouldn’t appreciate the scenery as much if you saw it everyday.
    Next, we headed over to Two Lights State Park, where a handful of people had also come out to take advantage of the day. Some jogged along the trails, avoiding the mud puddles; others sat at the top of the cliff, watching the waves spray off the rocks; and others walked on the rocks, peering into the small, snail inhabited pools. Two Lights was one of my favorite places to go as a kid because I loved climbing all over the rocks and although I wasn’t the most daring child, it was exhilarating to be so close to the crashing waves.
    Being at the ocean last weekend made me think about some accomplishments I would like to achieve, although they make take some time to get to. For example, this summer, I hope to try surfing. I hear Higgins Beach is a popular spot with local surfers. I also want to learn more about sailing. I can’t think of a better way to get from place to place and maybe I would pick up some navigation skills that would translate to other areas of my life.
    Finally, I resolved to swim at least once in all of the world’s oceans. So far, I have the Atlantic and the Pacific under my belt. After more thought, however, I determined the Arctic Ocean may be difficult to even step in to. Also, I have just recently discovered that in 2000 the International Hydrographic Organization designated the area from the coast of Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude, the Southern Ocean. Since I doubt any human could survive in that water for very long and the U.S. government does not recognize the ocean as one of the world’s major oceans, I may opt out of testing those waters. I haven’t worked out all the kinks yet.