10 Things Illinois Residents Dread About the Arrival of Spring

Spring may be a beautiful time of the year, but for those living in Illinois, the arrival of spring brings a whole new set of headaches to overcome.

Illinois' Weather Roller Coaster

As I sit here and type this, it is snowing outside and it was just 50 degrees a few days ago. This type of weather roller coaster is nothing new for us brave Illinoisans, but I know it has kicked everyone's yearning for Spring's arrival into overdrive.

I understand that MANY Illinois residents HATE winter and anxiously count down to the first day of spring, but for several different reasons, I am not spring's number one fan. Yes, of course, I enjoy the warmer temps and blooming flowers that come with the season, but the mud and pollen? That can kiss my you-know-what.

When talking to co-workers and friends about the things I dread about spring in Illinois, many thought I was nuts. Then we took a moment to think about it and came up with this list.

The Ten Pains of Spring in Illinois

1. The return of potholes: After a long winter, the roads in Illinois are riddled with potholes, making driving a bumpy and uncomfortable experience.

2. The unpredictable weather: One day it might be sunny and warm, and the next day it could be snowing. It also rains A LOT during the spring, and that's too gloomy for my taste.

3. Allergies: As the flowers and trees start to bloom, so do the allergens in the air. NO ONE enjoys the sneezing, itching, and runny noses that come with seasonal allergies.

4. Mud: The thawing snow and rain turn the ground into a muddy mess, making it impossible to keep your shoes clean and dry, and don't even get me started about the soggy mountains of dog poo that need to be cleaned up.

5. Spring cleaning: Some people may love this task, but most people hate it.

6. Construction season: With warmer weather comes road construction and we all know how frustrating that can be to navigate.

7. Lawn care: While having a beautiful yard is wonderful come summer, it takes a LOT of work and winter cleanup in the spring to get there.

8. Return of the Bugs: As temps continue to rise in the spring, many yucky insects like Box Elder bugs, Japanese Beetles, and ticks come out of hiding too.

9. Bikini Season: If you haven't been hitting the gym as much as you should have during the winter, the thought of bikini season and dragging out your too-small summer clothes is a real source of dread and anxiety.

10. Daylight savings time: I'm officially on team Get-Rid-of-Daylight-Savings-Time because disrupting our sleep schedules is never a fun thing.

Despite all those challenges, there's still plenty to love about this Spring season. From the blooming flowers to the warmer weather,  let's all just try to embrace the good and laugh at the bad so there's a lot less grumpy in this world.