Each year, when the month of March arrives, I find myself (foolishly) starting to become excited about the prospect of an early spring. Even though I know I shouldn't expect consistently warm weather until about mid-April, I always find myself lured in by false hopes that warmer weather is closer than it actually is.

Last weekend, we had that first 60-some degree day of the year. I went running outside in shorts and a t-shirt, and it felt great! Now, several days later, I'm reminded by the unforgiving snow and cold temperatures that spring is still several weeks off.

At Dittoe PR, we're reminded daily of how bad our Indiana weather is relative to other areas of the country. Since we work with clients and media professionals from across the country (and sometimes in other countries), we get to hear about how "I bet it's cold out there in Indiana. Here in California/Texas/Arizona/Hawaii, we're having beautiful weather!" Well, that's great to hear. I'm so happy YOU'RE having great weather! Having grown up outside of Boston, I'm used to long, snowy winters, and as much at I don't enjoy them, I am at least used to them. Some of my co-workers, however, grew up in warmer climates - Sacramento, CA and Greenville, SC - and they like to complain about the cold. Luckily for them, I'm not such a "hearty New Englander" that I claim to enjoy the freezing weather or ridicule them for being wimpy. Honestly, I dislike the cold just as much as they do.

The one redeeming quality that I see in snow is that it enables a favorite sport of mine - skiing. Luckily, I will be able to take advantage of the recent snowfall on a trip to Vermont in a week. When I'm experiencing the exhilaration of flying down the slopes of the mountain, I know I won't have any qualms with the snow. I've been skiing since I was about 10 years old, and it's become one of my favorite recreational activities over the years. I've been unable to go the past two winters, so I'm very excited that I'll be back on the slopes soon.

Once my ski trip is over though, spring won't be able to come fast enough!