Everyone
seems to love this time of year and I don't know why. I always see
people tweeting about how great autumn and winter are and I just
don't get it. I've
never liked this time of year, for various reasons, and I wanted to
share them with you. For those of you who love A/W, this may give you
another perspective, and for anyone like me who becomes a Grinch from
about October onwards, know that you're not alone!
1.
I hate being cold.
I
can't stand the cold weather and I'm one of those people who's
constantly freezing. I'm currently sitting here with the heating on and
wearing thermal socks, and I'm still shivering. In the summer, when
everyone's complaining about the heat, I'm in my element. I love
sitting in the sun, basking in its warmth with a good book and a cold
drink.
2.
I hate the long, dark nights.
Lately
I've been forced to close the curtains at 4pm because the sun has
gone in, and by 4:30 it feels like about 8 o'clock. Bring back the
days when it's light until after 9pm, please.
3.
I hate the cold, dark mornings.
Eurgh.
It's so much easier to get out of bed in the summer when it's already
light and sunny out. Trying to drag myself out of my warm bed in the
middle of winter when it's still cold and dark (to then go and scrape
the ice off my car) is one of the worst things ever.
4.
I hate wearing a coat.
Wearing
lots of layers and a big chunky coat as well as a hat, scarf and
gloves feels really restrictive to me. I prefer wearing fewer,
lighter clothes and I can't really do that right now!
5.
I hate the leaves everywhere.
It's
not the leaves themselves I hate; it's what they signify. Seeing them
turn brown and fall off the trees, leaving the branches sparse and
bare just makes me think of death.
6.
I hate feeling SAD.
I
suffer from seasonal affective disorder so my mood always drops at
this time of year. It's probably a mixture of the lack of natural
sunlight and not being outside as much because come spring with its
longer, warmer days and stronger sunshine, I start feeling better
again.
7.
I hate the crowds.
I'm
not keen on shopping anyway, but trying to do even the food shop this time of year
when the supermarkets and shopping centres are full of people
panic-buying Christmas presents and decorations is just so stressful.
There's no parking spaces left, the queues for the tills are like 50
miles long, there are too many people to move around comfortably and
everyone's at the end of their tether. I'd rather just stay at home
and do it all online.
Before
you think I'm a total misery, I have to admit there are a few things
I do enjoy about this time of year. I always look forward to Costa
Coffee's black forest hot chocolate, for one. I also like going on
long nature walks (despite the cold) and then coming back to a warm
house and a nice hot cup of green tea. And I love cooking – while
summer is all about salads, winter gives me a chance to whip up
deliciously warming soups, stews and other comfort-food meals. Oh,
and I also like the snow - there's something magical and peaceful about the white blanket it throws over the world (until it starts melting and makes it
difficult to drive). So it's not all bad.