What really pains me about studying abroad in Spain is being away from the hurricanes and rain. Spain is currently in a drought, and it's been a few days shy of me being here for one month. It's been one month without rain for me. After calling home and hearing that there's been about two weeks of rain throughout the time I've been gone, and seeing stormy pictures, it makes me miss it even more.
Rain truly makes me feel at home. When the ground starts to smell of petrichor after a storm, when the sunset starts to break through the grey clouds, and when the air feels cool yet humid. Even before a storm makes me feel at home. When it starts to get dark out because the clouds are starting to form, the drop in temperature (which in Florida, by Tampa Bay, is a nice change), and just knowing that something is coming. Growing up, my father and I would sit in our garage, watching the thunder and lightning of storms. I think that is truly where my love of weather started from. From there, I would go on to climb on top of our boat parked in the driveway to take photos as the storms still had more time before they hit where I lived. There was once when it was starting to drizzle, and I still stayed out, trying to be a little storm chaser at 13.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season starts on June 1st and ends on November 30th every year. It's a season I love deep down. Not only is it summertime for the first half of the season, but it unlocks something deep down in me. During each season, I always look at radars through the news and my weather app, would watch the station as they showcased the meteorology section, and am naturally drawn outside during these cooler periods. Even during work, I appreciate the storms coming through. Once, after we closed early, I recorded the rainstorm before we locked the front doors.
I think, truly, I was meant to be a storm chaser. I find it ironic, considering I grew up going to Universal Studios and was traumatized by the Twister ride. Between the flickering lights, the wind, and the movie scenes, both on a screen and recreated in front of us, it's no surprise that it scared me. It was a special effects attraction. It was supposed to feel real. Despite that, as I get older, I realize that this is one of my callings (another one being photo and videography). Getting the thrill of being in nature as the cool air thrashes against you is what inspires me every year to go chase storms. Now that I'm no longer a kid and I can drive, it makes me want to start spending part of my summers in Tornado Alley.
Tornado Alley consists of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, mostly. However, some researchers believe that this zone is shifting eastward to now include Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, and can even be as far east as Alabama and Ohio (https://www.wsaz.com/2025/06/10/tornado-alley-is-shifting-east-weather-experts-say/). Most of this year's tornadoes happened east of the Mississippi River, and the area everyone thinks of when they hear Tornado Alley has had far less tornado activity so far. Tornado Alley is mostly active from April to June, but from what I'm seeing, there's no definite season like there is for the Atlantic Hurricane Season.
This is the first year that I have thought about going to school for meteorology. It's insane, considering I have an Associate of Arts in general education, an Associate of Science in digital media / multimedia technology, and I'm halfway through my Bachelor of Arts in mass communications. I'm very grateful to have been able to do all this schooling already, especially since all of it has been on scholarships and grants. If I were to pursue a Bachelor of Science in meteorology, I would have to take time away from school to be able to save for it, or take loans out if I wanted to do it immediately after my BA. Which I am avoiding loans if at all possible. So... the other option it is.
One day I will achieve my storm chasing dreams, with or without a degree. I will be back home soon enough to experience the 2025 hurricane season. I will be able to travel to Tornado Alley and capture beautiful footage of these wonderful yet dangerous storms.
I was once told, "If you feel it, chase it." I plan to. 🌪️🩶