Be ready for this article, lots of cold and suffering will be mentioned.
Yes, I knew I was coming to Denmark. Yes, I was aware that it’s cold in the north of Europe. And yes again, I realized that days were much shorter in the winter.
What I was not prepared for though, was how long winter was going to last!
Denmark is somehow like Winterfell. By the end of October, everyone starts saying repeatedly “Winter is coming”. In the meanwhile, you can’t help but notice that the days are getting shorter and shorter while the rain stays longer and longer.
In November, the weather/light difference with France, especially Bordeaux, was undeniable since it was dark – and I mean real dark – around 5 pm here, against almost 7 in France.
Regarding the weather, I think it was probably the biggest difficulty I had to deal with. Coming from the southwest of France, I’m used to having quite a lot of rain, but for a shorter period. If it rains for a week in winter, people start being super depressed and complain all the time about this really shitty weather. Around here, rain is normal and expected during the autumn season, making many Danes happy with the opportunity to practice hygge safely installed inside. Yet, since I’m such a lucky person, I decided to come to Denmark just in time to enjoy the wettest autumn/winter in history, which is even depressing for the Danes. On the bright side, it’s apparently not as cold as it usually is (the average temperature is min 0°C & max 3°C), and at this day, we still hadn’t experienced any snow, but the lack of sun and D vitamins is becoming critical.
Strangely, my mood was not so affected until mid-January and I was even surprised by how well I was handling the whole situation. After that though, the cold, rain and the lack of sun really became problematic. It’s just like Games of Thrones once again, the great summer last for years! I don’t even mind being cold anymore, but going for an outdoor activity when it’s raining is still a no-go for me. Therefore, after 3 weeks of rains, I started being really depressed and hating myself for this crazy idea of coming to Denmark!
Nevertheless, let’s be hopeful for the future, I’m taking D vitamins complements in order to avoid a too deep winter depression, forcing myself to enjoy a walk in the nearby forest as soon as it stops raining and, even more important, the sun should be back soon! After that, I’ll proudly be able to announce I survived a Scandinavian winter!