Don’t get me wrong: I loved winter when I was a kid. The first snowflakes, a white Christmas, and speedy tobogganing. But even then there was a downer: the rustling of the ski suit. There is no other sound that conjures up so many emotions for me. Nostalgia and the good old days of the late 80s on the one hand, and pure hatred on the other. Because that rustling is paired with memories of cold, red fingers, wet tights, and incredibly scratchy balaclavas that still haunt my nightmares. But somehow the snow and stuff got me over it. But the older I got, the less I liked winter. So today I’m going to reveal a well-known secret: I hate winter!
But now I live in a country where, on the one hand, winter lasts for a very long time and, on the other hand, all kinds of winter activities are very much part of the culture. So I am surrounded by winter lovers from home and abroad. They are enthusiastic about the beauty of winter and look forward to skiing, snowshoeing, building snowmen, and drinking punch. Of course, I can’t keep up. The cold gets into my bones and the wet always makes me sick. So I watch the annual spectacle with a mixture of scepticism and bemusement.
So here is my unapologetic list of things I hate about winter:
#1: Living in eternal darkness
Winter is dark, cold, and uncomfortable. Full stop. Sayings like: “Oh, she won’t survive the next winter!” come from nowhere. Often in October, but by November at the latest, I get nervous and start hoarding vitamin D supplements in a near panic. Because then it starts again. The dark age. What sounds so romantic with a cosy blanket and candles is actually living in artificial light. Getting up in the dark, sitting at work all day, and then coming home to total darkness. I can remember weeks, months it seems when I had no contact with daylight at all. Even the Christmas lights and the punch stand on the corner don’t help.
#2: There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.
I don’t know who coined this phrase – but it certainly wasn’t frostbite. Apart from the fact that most of the functional clothing I know brings out the old rustling feeling, I have yet to find a clothing combination that I can say is: YES! This is how I brave the sub-zero temperatures. After half an hour at the latest
outside, I have cold feet. And cold fingers. And my nose and ears have made their first threats. So when I’m persuaded to do a winter activity or go on a winter holiday, I immediately have two feelings: Wow, I have a lot to carry and how will I manage not to freeze to death? The general enthusiasm for winter sports simply confuses me. So I prefer to let my loved ones go and wait in the spa area with a good book and my favourite playlist in my ears until the troupe has returned from their expedition with a thirst for exercise.
#3: Snow is also just frozen dirt.
For me, snow is more of a theoretically positive construct. It glistens, it looks nice, and it crunches nicely if you are lucky enough to be the first to walk on it – but in reality, it is just very cold water. I would almost say water is at its worst. Especially in the city, snow means one thing: grey slush. And in the rest of the country
It is usually accompanied by chaos, power cuts, and avalanches – especially when it brings reinforcements and comes in large numbers.
But there is one positive aspect of winter: Every year it reminds me how much I look forward to summer. I count the hours until the days get longer again – yes, the winter solstice is like a little holiday for me – the sun’s rays gain strength again and you can finally leave the house without a jacket. And because anticipation is the greatest pleasure, I took the opportunity to book my summer holiday at a great price thanks to the early bird bonus. So even I can make the most of the winter.
If you are already looking forward to your summer holiday, you can save up to 25% on your next summer holiday until 28 February 2023. 🙂
