How do you feel about cold weather?
It’s been 7 years since I left the Netherlands, and moved to my country, my warm tropical country, i.e. Indonesia. If you ask me, how do I feel about the cold weather? Honestly, I feel some kind of nostalgic feelings remembering the Netherlands, a small, cold, four seasons country that kinda changed my perspective and mindset.
I am not saying that I am not grateful to live in a tropical country.
Here, it’s really nice to let the warm sunshine embraces my skin every single time I set foot outside our home. Here, I can always go outside wearing my floral dress, and my short pants without feeling cold.
But still… there are some parts of me… left in a cold country that I have been missing.
1. The ‘Plan-Ahead’ Me
I first realized the necessity of planning ahead during my study in The Netherlands. ‘Plan-Ahead’ was a-must to be able to survive in a cold weather country.
First, I had to check the weather before going out, to make sure that I don’t wear the wrong outfit to campus. The sun may look bright and warm outside, but it could be freaking cold.
Second, I had to shop 6 months ahead, so I can get cheaper winter outfits.
Third, for Dutch, being late is such a disrespectful manner. In my first day of school, I got kicked from my English class just because of 5-minute late. Like, seriously, no excuse about the storm or your delayed train. My teacher still told me in front of the classroom, “You are not made of sugar. A bit of rain won’t melt you, isn’t it? Come again next time and please don’t come with excuses.”
Dang! That hurts but has taught me a lot about the value of time management.
2. ‘Hibernate Mode-On’
In the cold snowy days, I got so many reasons to hibernate inside my blanket while sipping my hot chocolate and watching some great movies.
All trains mostly troubled, shops closed early, days are shorter, and nights are longer. So, why should I stay outside for long.
The lazy and introverted sides of me really crave for this winter vibes. Oh, how I miss binge watching to some online series, listening to my favorite songs, or spend the whole day binge-reading to my favorite books.
3. Me wearing Layered Clothings
Oh, tell me, where else could I wear those knee-high or thigh-high boots if it’s not in the cold weather?
Or how could I wear those cute winter gloves, pompom beanies, thermal stockings, or oversized winter coats in this sweaty-all-day season country?
4. Shower twice-a-week
During cold weather, I can still look fine even without showering for one week straight. Lol… I mean, if you want to catch cold or got a very dry skin try to take shower thrice a day in the winter.
Here, in a tropical country, if you got your air-con on all day, yeah, I guess it’s still okay to not shower for three days straight. But going outdoors without showering a whole day is a key to look like a trainwreck.
5. Free Glühwine
Oh, I also missed those days, when my best friend and I used to stroll around the Christmas market just to get Glühwine and hot chocolate for free. We sipped to our drinks while riding our bike around and talk about life, love and stuff. Ah, is someone cutting onions? 😢
To sum these up, I want to quote some advice my husband once told me. “Joy is a decision! In winter you’ll miss the summer, in summer you’ll miss the winter time. So, it’s your choice to either let the winter blues or summertime sadness rushed in or just enjoy the present moment.”
So, let’s hope we can at least travel to some cold weather countries soon.
Bless This Mess 