Spring in Durango is lovely to behold: the budding trees, the vibrant flowers, the sweet aroma in the sunny air.

All year, I dream of the first tulips, warm days and all the activities that come with them. But, while the spring flowers bloom and the winter winds give way to pleasant breezes, some Durangoans remain stuck inside.

By some Durangoans, I mean mostly K-12 students. Although the spring months are close to the end of the school year, students still have a lot to do before they can truly enjoy the warm weather.

High school juniors, especially, have a lengthy to-do list for the next few months. Starting with the ACT on April 18, most juniors have the COACT April 28, the second round of PARCC testing the same week, AP tests at the beginning of May and, of course, finals in the last drawn-out weeks of school. I for one, can’t say I’m looking forward to the ominous lineup.

The spring months, therefore, bring a mixed bag of feelings. On one hand, I adore the season; on the other, I dread it.

While the abundance of tests seems to be the worst of a student’s troubles, another plague brings sorrow to all in the otherwise lovely season: Students can’t be outside in the perfect spring weather all day.

Alas, as the sun blazes upon the languid Animas at 32nd Street and the birds flit about the spring-green trees, I will be taking a mind-numbing, yet future-determining, five-hour test. Or, better yet, I’ll be participating in a weeklong computerized test that, thus far, has an unclear purpose for juniors and above. As a junior who was told from a young age that state-testing would cease in grade 11 with our participation in the ACT, I find missing the wonderful spring weather, and important AP classes, for the new test to be difficult.

With such a plethora of spring activities in and around Durango, focusing on the tests and last months of school is proving to be an onerous task. It’s hard to stay interested in the 12,000th timed writing topic when the river is beckoning and the mountains still have (meager amounts) of snow. In a season where I can be on a river trip one weekend and skiing the next (shoutout to Purg for staying open an extra weekend!), studying every event in America’s past for my AP U.S. History exam suddenly seems less desirable.

So, you can see my dilemma with the current season. The question is, however, can the positives outshine the negatives?

Well, of course they do. It’s springtime in Durango, for goodness sake. Even though the testing and arduous work of the final months of junior year is daunting, I can’t ignore the fact that I’m lucky enough to be a Durangoan. I may not get to spend April 18 paddle-boarding on the Animas or back-country skiing, but hey, at least I get to walk to the testing location through the early-morning spring sun and fragrant air.

Audrey Morris is a copy editor at El Diablo, the Durango High School student newspaper. Her parents are Karen and Alan Morris of Durango.