Lately, I’ve been reading Game of Thrones, the first book in the Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin. In the land that it is set in, summers and winters last for years. It would be beyond strange to have a summer last nine or ten years, especially since I live in Colorado, a state with definite seasons. Summer would mean something absolutely different than it does now.

Because to me, summers mean:

1. No school

2. Traveling and visiting family across the country

3. Eating Otter Pops while reading a book in the sun

4. Iced tea

5. Hiking

6. Camping

7. Going swimming outdoors

8. Kicking off my blankets at night because I’m too hot.

9. Family barbeques/picnics

10. Sleeping in.

Of course, now that I’m an adult and I have a job, summers do not quite mean all those things. I haven’t been camping in a while, I can rarely sleep in, and I can only go on one short vacation. But it is still summer. I’ve been hiking and I’ve been reading (and writing) in the sun while drinking iced tea and/or enjoying a popsicle.  And I’ve been reveling in not having to go to school (about a month and half more!).

What would summer be like if it lasted for a few years instead of a few months. It could be beautiful, I’m sure (as long as it rained). It could be amazing, but winter would be a bigger threat as summer would become almost normal. Harsh winters can be bad enough for livestock, mental health, and general livelihood.  Imagine if a winter, no matter if was harsh or not, lasted for nine years. No wonder why the Stark motto is “winter is coming.” They love the summer, but they know full well that winter is going to come again and it will seem like summer never existed.

As for me, summer is only a few months long and the rest of the seasons are tinged with varying amounts of cold and that’s the way I like it. Summer may seem fleeting, but it is constant. Winter may seem long, especially when I have to regularly drive in snowy conditions, but I know for certain that summer will be coming soon.