It’s been a running joke at work, because no one so far has done it this way round, that I had moved to the UK because I preferred the weather.

I have (officially) been here for a couple of weeks now and have seen the weather turn from beautiful to horrid, most times within a day and no doubt, as Europe comes into the colder months, it is also getting rather chilly.

I understand the human desire for blue skies and warm air, and yes, it has been quite difficult to get up for work in the mornings, however, I want to stress that there is in fact a small truth to this rumour, that I did move from sunny Sydney to rainy UK because I preferred the climate.

Note that I said climate, not weather. I have been in Europe before, and up here in this corner of the world, the climate can be extraordinary. Sure, it’ll soon get extremely cold, and it’ll be wet and miserable, but it’s winter, and we expect it. What I love about the climate here is not the climate itself, but its effect on people.

You see, back in Sydney, we are blessed with almost 9 months full of sunshine. It is a city built on the expectant good weather and when it does rain, people often cancel their plans because for one reason or the other, we just didn’t know what to do with ourselves when it rains!

However, in Europe, especially in the UK, where rain is a constant companion to people’s daily lives that things will happen come rain, hail or shine. You can’t expect to cancel events or parties (or simply bail out of these) just because it rains – because you’ll never get anywhere!

And on the opposite effect, when the sun does make an appearance, you can see the appreciation on people’s faces – people will be smiling, even if they are on their way to work, and they’ll stay out, creating a vibrant atmosphere on the streets, simply because the sun is out. Simply because of a sheer appreciation for a good day.

Funnily enough, I feel that in general people are happier and are more tolerant of situations simply because the weather is so poor!

There’s the four seasons part to the climate. I love having four seasons, not just two. I love seeing the changes to the environment, and the changes to the produce and there is nothing better than seasonal eating, for the anticipation for a certain type of food makes eating them feel so much the better.

So you see, I did move here, because I preferred the weather :-)

Greetings from London!