Usually, when it rains in California, everyone wears hoodies, jeans, leggings, or tennis shoes. Almost no one wears rain jackets, rain boots, or umbrellas because we’re so used to constant sun and dryness. In other states like Hawaii, Florida, and Louisiana, rainfall happens more often, so they know what to do; instead of Californians, who have no idea how to deal with rain. In other states that get more rain, people think it’s normal to just take a walk in the rain without noticing or being bothered. When people from California find out it’s raining, it turns to war, school gets canceled, everyone stays inside, and the heater is turned on. California only gets a couple of rainy days out of the year, so for the short time we spend suffering when we’re also remembering that the rain can be helpful in some cases. The rain can be nice when indoors because we can be warm and have free rain noise to fall asleep to.
I really love driving in the rain. I plug in my music and crank up the volume. I pull out of my driveway and hear the rain begin the patter on the roof. I open my sunroof and let the droplets project shadows and shades across the interior of my car. Under the cover of clouds, I drive. I drive to friends’ houses, I drive to school, I drive to the store, I drive to the beach. My favorite drive to do is to any lookout. I drive up and up until I reach a spot that presides over the land below. I park and take it all in. I turn up my heater and turn down my music. The sound of the rain soothes me as I look out onto the landscape below. I am calm, I am happy, I am thinking. I find that this particular circumstance is where I think the best. I cry out all the sadness that reaps my heart. I laugh out all of the giggles trapped in my lungs. I relax, letting the sounds flow through my ears. All of my emotions seem to be soothed in a rainy car at a lookout.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the sunny summers. In fact my very first blog was about my love for the beach. But after months of the beaming sun, sweat, and mosquitoes, I am very ready for the winter. I miss the fog rolling in and never leaving. I miss the sound of rain pounding on my ceiling as I sleep. I miss being able to wear sweatpants and baggy sweaters to school. The outfits I wear during winter aren’t the most fashionable, but they’re definitely comfortable. I yearn to sit in class in an outfit that feels just like my bed, not jean shorts that leave marks on my legs and a tank top. I’m most excited to bake cookies and watch movies on rainy days. Nothing beats the feeling of relaxing and cuddling up on a rainy day. I never feel lazy when I lay around while it’s raining. The sun makes me feel like a slug if I’m not up and moving. Playing sports in the heat has also been unbearable. I’m excited to finally play in cool weather that actually allows me to catch my breath. I know by the end of winter I’ll be begging for the sun to peak back through the clouds. For now, I’m begging for the winter and can’t wait another second.
I woke up with my mind racing of the dream that had woke me up. Half-asleep I forced myself out of bed into my normal morning routine which consists of 1, going to my parents room to say what’s up to my dog, 2 going into my room to shower and brush my teeth and finally 3, get dressed and leave.
However, this morning was different whether it was my cold shower being not so cold this morning, or the feeling of wearing a jacket to school for the first time this year. Today was different.
That was when I looked out my window to see water droplets had covered all the windows in my room. Then it hit me, last night was rainy. But I didn’t feel down because of the weather, not me, no this cat likes the rain. I ran outside with my wet hair and shoes untied and took a big nice American whiff of that rainy air.
I smiled ear to ear, with that rainy day smell in my body I knew today would be a great day.
I think out of all of the different types of weather, rain is definitely in the top 3 if not number 1. I really do love powdery snow that looks almost like pillow stuffing as it floats down from the sky. That type of snow is also very light and easy to shovel compared to some of the super wet and heavy snow that makes you feel like you gained 15 pounds of muscle in your arms after just an hour of shoveling. All considered, I think I have decided that rain squeaks out as superior to all other types of weather. My reasonings include, for one, the coziness of the rain. Sitting inside, with a cup of hot something, watching movies and/or listening to music might just be one of the most peaceful experiences one can have. Additionally, if you do want to go outside, it is a very fun experience to frolic around in the rain and not care about how wet you get. If somebody has never had the opportunity to do so, I would highly recommend doing it at least once in your life. Another thing is raindrop racing. This is when two raindrops on a window race to be the first one to drop to the bottom of the window. I loved doing this as a kid, and betting on such events will always and forever be thrilling. My last point lies with the aftermath of the rain. Where I live, I am in a forest surrounded by pine trees, and the smell of pine trees freshly after it has rained is by far my favorite smell to ever exist ever. I can’t even describe it, it’s just so delicious. The one thing I will give rain haters is the fact that if you let your dog out in the rain, at least for my dog, it was a true hassle to dry him off after the fact, and the smell of wet dog is just something else entirely that doesn’t really need to be discussed. Overall, this is one of my opinions that I am very strong about for myself, but I am open to others having a differing opinion and possibly having a friendly discussion about it.
It’s been raining alot recently and while I love the rain it’s been a very hard thing to live with, especially with an outdoor school. I love a good rainy day alone in my room making legos and watching movies, but the procrastination went wild. I found myself wasting time on things I knew needed to be done. I can’t seem to find the motivation either. Senioritis is kicking my behind and the rain certainly doesn’t help. I did love the alone time in my room though. The peace and quiet, how I could just be me and not have to worry about anyone else or the constant comments. I did sleep in a lot though and the motivation was lacking, but I do really love the rain.
I’m ready to graduate, but
I will miss my friends. I always think about how I’ve known these people for years and yet I won’t return again next year to another orientation day with them. We won’t make fun of all the new freshmen and reminisce on how small we used to be, but I also couldn’t handle another round of freshmen. No offense but this year was definitely the last.
I’m not a runner, but
I actually ran today and I was so proud of myself. I felt amazing the rain and wind beating against my skin. The freezing of my skin as I ran through that rain, and the constant repetition of a single phrase in the back of my head. Don’t walk! and I didn’t I made it the whole run with not a single walk. There may have been a couple of very slow running in there but I made it and I couldn’t have been prouder. My friends cheered as I finished the run the smile on their faces matched the happiness and pride I had in myself. although yesterday was an easy run so let’s see if I still feel this way next week. I don’t want to give up, my stubbornness won’t let me. I want to run with my friends and spend the last sports seasons hanging laughing and running with them. I just can’t believe it took me this long to start.
I hate lying, but
I can’t tell people they are bad at something. I feel terrible about it but I don’t want to seem bitchy about it either. I’m sorry but you are not as good as you think you are. I’m not saying I’m the best, god knows I don’t think that but I don’t act like I can. plus if you tell someone else they are bad at something it becomes a whole thing and they accuse you of jealousy or thinking you’re better, but trust me I’m the farthest thing from jealous. I don’t think I will ever be able to tell the truth when it comes to that, I’m not sure how people do it. I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I don’t want you to embarrass yourself.
I want to pursue music, but
what if I’m not good enough. actually rewind I know I’m not good enough, I love singing don’t get me wrong but the music business is cutthroat you either have it or not. Do I have it? I don’t know, I feel like my friends just hype me up but paired with the section above what if they’re just lying? We will see. I couldn’t dream of living without music, but do I have what it takes. Well, I do have my father’s stubbornness so I know I’m not going down without a fight. hopefully, I make it, and these blogs are not recovered by the paparazzi.
I would love to keep writing, but it’s 12: 30 am and I’m ready to go to sleep.
Around where I live, supposedly there is a large storm coming. I don’t like the rain when forced to go to school. Rainy days are meant to be spent in bed watching a movie and drinking hot cocoa. I shouldn’t need to freeze, running away from the rain and going to school. My clothes, backpack, and hair get soaked and I’m uncomfortable and upset the whole day. I think that whenever it is raining where I live, which is pretty rare, school should get cancelled. It is absolutely brutal. At my school, there is a high chance that school will be cancelled due to the rain on Monday. I board at school, but this weekend I went home, so if school gets cancelled on Monday, I will be able to stay inside warm at my own house. I only love the rain when I can admire it from inside but I hate it when I need to be outside with it.
Blogging is hard. I am now going to write about the rain because right in front of me is a large window with water droplets on it.
At one moment, I looked out the window and all I saw was white. A wooly white fog settled in the valley, blocking out the hills. It looks cold and damp, but sitting in the journalism room, typing this blog, I am neither.
Now, the fog has disappeared. I’m not sure of the science behind it. Perhaps it was tired of hanging in the air, and it fell deeper into the valley to sit on leaves and grass. Maybe the sun came, and the fog dispersed, thinning but leaving us in a perpetual but indetectable fog.
Nonetheless, the hills are a vibrant green in the absence of the fog. Whenever it rains here in the valley, the skies turn white, and the hills take up the role of vibrancy. The dusty chaparral becomes an unreal green garden, and the clay-like earth blooms into a bright brick red.
Imagine rainfall, accompanied by the sound of warm piano slowly picking away at the layer of your sorrows, that’s how I feel when I play Laura by Erroll Garner. It’s a song I’ve been learning lately, and one of the hardest and technically challenging songs I’ve tackled this year- but most rewarding. The arpeggios are INCREDIBLE.
the rain last week made me want to go back to playing more moody jazz. Pieces with really pretty and new york city-type chords. Songs like Almost Blue (Chet Baker), and Scenery (Ryo Fukui).
amore mio aiutami by Piero Piccioni is perhaps one of the most beautiful songs I learned on the piano. I can’t stop playing it. Another one like it is Lujon by Heny Mancini
I found one of my Dad’s old Billy Joel books, and I’ve been playing the music (that I could play) in there too. Billy Joel is the master of complex and heavenly chord progressions. I especially liked Just the way you are, and The Stranger (interlude).
Surprisingly, George Michael and Sade’s songs, although very slow, are a blast to play on the piano. Their melodies are so satisfying to play.
Today, the first drops of rain after months of blistering heat graced Ojai for just one minute. It was the best minute of that day. I love rain. I could just watch and listen to it forever. I love when the sky clouds up and makes everything prettier. Today, the beautiful grey sky brought out the green in the mountains surrounding OVS. It all just looked so fresh and not regular old California. Everything looks better in the rain.
I love the feeling of raindrops on my head, I love watching them out the window, I love the sound of wind and thunder, and I even love the smell of wet asphalt. At night, everything is just incredible- city lights upside-down on shiny streets, and the comforting sound of heavy downpours making you sleepy. Henry Wadsworth was totally wrong about rainy days being “dark and dreary” if he loved sunny days so much he should’ve lived in California. Anyway the rain today, despite being accompanied by 95-degree temperatures and its briefness, is welcomed by me.
OVS Journalism Blog 
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