I’ll never forget my first winter in the UK. Happy to have you back here to read the Dairy of an International Student…
Coming from a warmer country, I thought I was prepared after all, I had bought a coat before leaving home, got myself some gloves, and a scarf when I got here. But nothing could have prepared me for the biting cold, the endless rain, and the sun disappearing before 4 PM and everywhere getting dark before 7PM.
One morning, I woke up to frost covering the windows of my tiny room in student accommodation. My radiator had barely kept the chill out, and stepping onto the icy floor felt like punishment. I layered up two sweaters, a thick coat, and a hat that squashed my hair and braced myself for the walk all the to down to campus. The wind howled through the streets, and my hands were freezing even inside my gloves.
By the time I made it to my lecture, my nose was red, my toes numb, and my spirits low. Everyone else seemed unbothered by the cold, chatting about Christmas markets and upcoming plans. Meanwhile, I was googling, “How to survive UK winters without crying.”…hahaha…just kidding.
I quickly realized my clothing wasn’t enough. That weekend, I went to the shopping mall and invested in a proper winter coat, thermal socks and leggings, and a hot water bottle. I also discovered the magic of a warm cup of tea something I’d never really appreciated before.
Winter wasn’t just about the cold; it was also about the darkness. The short days left me feeling sluggish and homesick, missing the long, sunny afternoons of home. To combat the gloom, I started taking walks during lunch breaks to soak in whatever daylight I could find.
By mid-February, I had adjusted. I’d found joy in small things warm pastries from the local bakery, the soft glow of streetlights on frosty evenings, and even the occasional snowflakes falling outside the library window. Winter was tough, I took lots of multivitamin supplements, but it taught me resilience, and by the time spring arrived, I felt stronger for having survived it.
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