To absolutely hate winter?

[millefeuille1]

I don't mind the run up to Christmas as the lights and anticipation make it bearable, but January and February?? No! I have no energy and no mojo to make it better. I try so hard to make resolutions - read lots, go to the gym, declutter, plan new menus etc. but it never happens. All I want to do is hibernate.
I do love seeing snow fall (and then hate all the stress of driving in it), but mostly it is damp, dark, grey and cold.
It can't be right to hate a good chunk of the year? What is good about it?

Interested to know which are the sunniest parts of the UK

Maggie, the last two london summers have been fine, try here!

Yaktrax don't work for me either

I bet winter is easier after retirement....

No, you can't go into work and keep warm on someone else's fuel bill. You have to keep your own heating on longer and so it costs more. Once you're old enough you become unable to move about easily, so you can't warm yourself up with exercise either. That's why so many elderly people have to make the choice to 'heat or eat'.

Reading this thread really really makes me want to emigrate. But DC are 9 & 10. We live in a lovely community - great friends and family just right distance away. Maybe it would be selfish to take them away and make them start a new life somewhere else just for the sunshine?!?!...

Echt, how anyone can describe weather as a silly reason, I don't know.

I said it was silly reason to come to Australia. And it is. Which is possible why so many come to live here and here and end up hating it.

On the weather front, so many outside Au think it's sunny all the time, which it isn't.

Give, go, they'll thank you for it.

Jux, I really feel for those people. My parents also like to hang out in my flat because it's much warmer than their house and they are elderly.

I work at home much as I'm allowed but I'm very lucky because it's freakishly warm in my building, in summer even guys come here and wonder if they're starting menopause . I am much happier here than my previous place where I had to run the heating much more. Last year I was ill the early part of winter, couldn't move about and still barely had to switch the heating on.

retired colleagues have said their SAD improved hugely post retirement, as did my dad. I have been in meetings all day and I gather I missed some actual sunshine today? I didn't get a break to pop out and see it so it might just be rumour, lol. I'm relieved it's not shit freezing like it was at the weekend.

Just thought, my travel costs more than heating anyway. I forget that some people don't have commuting costs.

lorelei9 I live in West Sussex which (it is alleged) has the most sunshine hours of the UK.

Winter is still shit. I am with the OP. Dark mornings and evenings, damp chilly weather, no sense of "proper" winter weather even if I liked the white stuff (which I don't, except in pictures).

Roll on Spring/Summer, the only two seasons which count! I'm like a flower - my petals only open in the sun.

Not a fan of winter at all - especially the dark mornings/late afternoons abs the endless grey skies...

But I do try, like devil and make a list of what I do like or tolerate abs try to build something in to my everyday to enjoy. I need to get through it all somehow!

Givemestrength, we emigrated when my son was 11, leaving all friends and family and familiarity behind. He was sold on Australia the very first week when they had swimming lessons in the outdoor pool. . He never wants to go back, he loves it here even though he's not at all a beach loving sporty kid!

And echt, while the weather wasn't the only reason for us to come to Oz, it was certainly a strong influence, especially when it came to deciding between Oz and Canada. And no, its not sunny all the time of course, but nine months of the year or so we get in Perth is a lot better than the week or two if you were lucky that we got in Ireland!

Lorelei, please can I come and live in your building? Where is this wondrous place that is freakishly warm? I am freakishly cold due to multiple stupid and annoying health things, so I feel I would fit in well.

Give, we knew a family some years ago with children about that age. They emigrated to Australia and have been having the time of their lives ever since! They went about 7 years ago, but it didn't take anything like that long before they were all feeling at home. Check it out. It'll be a lot easier now with the children at the ages they are, than it will once they're in secondary school.

I'm in the middle of a six month stay in southern Spain; it's obviously much sunnier and warmer during the day than at home (London) but I find it hard to keep warm indoors - heating is feeble, floors are tiled, and bars and restaurants are often really chilly which is horrible, you go in hoping to warm up, and sit shivering in your coat! Shops are now full of thick fleece pyjamas, no wonder!

Bloodybridget Aussie houses are bloody freezing in winter at night too, they have single glazing, tiled floors and are built to keep heat out, not in. My first winter here I was freezing. Now we have an awesome log burner for the winter though, not a thing I ever imagined needing before moving here! Our heating costs last winter were $15, which is the cost of going to the woods and chopping a trailer full of wood for the burner.

Glastokitty actually quite a lot of homes here have woodburners - but not ours!

Jux - you are most welcome. If I moved, I would feel like I would want to visit prospective homes in winter and look at their thermostat.

is it modernish buildings though - mine was built about 15 years ago so maybe insulation standards are higher?

My parents often say to me "oh it will be hard to go and live in another country when you don't know anyone" - but will it? ATM my plan is to spend winter abroad later in life but there's an argument for emigrating full stop....

Such an interesting thread, especially with the contributions from ex pats because you are living ' our' dream.

I survive/ manage because I an able to afford a few sunshine holidays. As someone rightly said if we got a brilliant summer / great spring and autumn then the misery of winter would be fleeting.

Our summer was crap this year. I hate the way you cannot plan an event for fear of a downpour...the very reason I chose to go abroad to get married as it rained on my first August wedding.

To shorten the winter we take a late summer break. This year was late October/ early November and then we usually take an early summer holiday usually late feb /march. When you've usually just had enough misery.

Next year I've got that added bonus of two weeks in benidorm in January. Sunny skies and wrapping up warm will do. We look for the cheapies. You won't find us in five star hotels living like kings. We will be in a budget ( clean) apartment where we will cook most all our breakfasts and most of our evening meals because we go for the sunshine / better weather pure and simple and every penny has to do the work of ten.

Now I'm at the age I am, I cannot wish my life away. Every moment counts so yes even the chilly ones.

People say to me why don't you move abroad. Well, there's 11 reasons and that's my immediate family.

When I go for two weeks I'm like a fish out of water. All the time I'm thinking, my daughter would love this, my grandchildren would love that, my son would be in his element there and so on.

As soon as we get the first snap of winter which was Monday and Tuesday this week I change into victor Meldrew. I do try not to for the sake of long suffering husband who is already threatening me with the sad lamp.
I have an efficient heating system but i wonder if the house walls which were filled witn foam years ago are no longer efficient . Do they need a top up? Something I need to look into. The house can lose 7-8 degrees over night.

If anyone has any knowledge about this do let me know. All areas are carpeted apart from bathroom and kitchen which have Lino. I have a radiator in every room and a lot of them are doubles ie 8 foot double in bedroom.

The minute you step out of the bedroom the hall is freezing.

Anyway I digress. Winter is coming. I can't prevent it . Just stay as positive and as well as possible. I'm much better with TATT since I started taking a new supplement and enjoy life's lovely moments.

I've been to worse and winter is better than that.

Someone mentioned Florida. I've spent a lot of time in Florida over the years. They certainly get their share of grey days, hard to imagine but it's true.
Winter times you get some very cold days, especially when the more northerly states have had a spectacular dumping of snow.
Course summers can get some spectacular thunder, lighting and rain storms and always the threat of hurricanes which can be devastating.
I was never there for one but arrived three days later . I was fortunate that my house had suffered little damage but some friends houses just a few miles away had roofs torn off, trees dumped in pools. Our roof guy said his neighbour rang and said I've got your tree! It's in my yard. The neighbours house was about 1/4 mile away .

At least we don't have ( too much) of that!

Dowser, I'd definitely pick California over Florida but Florida is cheaper!

Perhaps it's a countryside/city thing. The British countryside is pretty grey and grim in winter.

I love winter. I don't mind the grey and the dark - serves as a contrast to how warm and cosy my house is. I love looking out the window and feeling cosy. Dark mornings and evenings genuinely don't bother me, I like the change.

not sure about the city/country thing - I don't think those of us who hate winter would feel any differently really. I live in the city so I suppose it doesn't get as revoltingly cold....

Lorelei my experience as an expat of eight years is nothing like your parents prediction...you don't know anyone when you arrive, of course, but I've found expats more welcoming than Brits...everyone is in the same boat and there's a real sense of camaraderie, we've all been fresh off the boat at some point...

And friends and family can visit. I couldn't live my life for other people.

I'm currently sat on our front terrace with a warm breeze and a cold beer, catching up on emails and MN. It is heaven. I just couldn't live in a cold country....

I've lived in cities, suburbs and in the countryside. I hated winter equally regardless

We're rural and our biggest problem is that there's no road gritting. I wake up anxious about getting to work regularly.
We've been snowed in several times and the novelty wears off pretty quickly. It's no fun trudging through 3 miles of fields in deep snow to buy food.
Plus the bin men/postman/oil delivery can't get in so we feel very cut off.

I agree with ifiwasabadger. It is a bit terrifying when you first arrive in a new country knowing no-one, but you soon meet people. Herein Perth there are poms absolutely every where, and there are loads of meet up groups and nights out you can join. Then when you start work you start meeting the locals. We will be here three years in Feb and have loads of friends, all nationalities. When we moved house recently we had more people to help us than we had any time we moved in Ireland, and our families live there! Emigrating successfully has really boosted my confidence, or maybe I'm just a happier person now, but I've really found making friends here much easier than I expected. You do have to put yourself out there though, I met my first friends by asking on a facebook group if any newbies wanted to meet for coffee, a dozen people turned up! So, don't let the fear of isolation put you off, although granted, it is difficult at the vey start.