Go outside. Breathe in the mud. You made it. What is your favorite sign that winter is finally over? Let me know in the comments below!

We all know the textbook answer to “What is after winter?” It’s .

Here is what really comes after winter. Before the cherry blossoms and the pastel Easter eggs, there is the "Mud Season." Biologically, winter doesn’t just hand the baton to spring. It fights.

After winter, we don't get a guarantee of warmth. We get the opportunity for warmth. And that is enough. So, what is after winter?

Look out your window. Winter is packing its bags. It might take one last swipe at you on the way out, but the light is winning.

You will have a 70-degree day followed by a blizzard. You will wear shorts in the morning and a parka at night. What comes after winter is chaos —but it is the good kind. It is nature reminding us that nothing moves in a straight line. Winter is monochrome: white, grey, brown. What follows is a gradual saturation boost.