Amayzine

The benefits of winter

Damn, it's raining. And I have a snotty nose, a head full of misery, misery, general malaise and other kinds of tragedy. But before we languish in self-pity, it's time for a lesson from Johan Cruijff: every disadvantage ‘hep’ them advantage. This winter weather irritating? Mwah, it depends on how you look at it. Time for a lesson in rethinking.

So behold: the benefits of these cold bleh months. Because believe it or not, there are. REAL...

  1. First of all: it is totally socially accepted and okay to be a grandma around this time of year. Cocooning all weekend, The Voice of Holland watching and getting into your bed early. Secretly quite nice, admit it.
  2. Which also immediately implies that you barely have FOMO in winter, because the obligation of ‘MUST do ’something fun' oddly enough, we seem to have more with nice weather anyway.
  3. For those totally fed up with that sweating in the sun: please. Winter.
  4. You can finally pull out your diehard South Pole outfit. Cute hat, warm scarf, that cute fluffy jumper that is actually always too warm; you can do it now.
  5. So you think you can skate on Museumplein in summer? Ha. Don't think so.
  6. The reverse also applies: so if you still need clothes, winter gives you the perfect excuse to shop. And hey: in winter there are gooooooey sales, girlfriend. So let it get even colder.
  7. The fact that you have eaten two kilos of peppercorns in the last four weeks alone is also totally normal around this time of year.
  8. And how about St Nicholas, Christmas and New Year's Eve? Still remain parties we can't skip.
  9. Warm. Chocomel. With. Whipped Cream. I mean: c'mon, that's a reason in itself.
  10. Speaking of which, that bikini is a long way off. So you may find yourself wiggling through the house singing songs like ‘hooooofd, shoulders, fat roll 1, fat roll 2’ for a while longer. Courtesy of your winter body.
  11. Winter = chill because bye bye hay fever.
  12. Hèhè, television channels are FINALLY filling up again with cool, new seasons of programmes instead of reruns, nonsense and cucumber news.
  13. Do you know how many mosquitoes there are in winter? Right. Like all other insects, for that matter.
  14. In winter, you can suddenly enjoy that hot shower or bath a thousand times over. And then put on your fluffy bathrobe.
  15. Áf it does snow, you suddenly feel 14 years younger and go down that mountain with your sledge like an imbecile. Not to mention a snowball fight.
  16. Imagine for a moment: never again Christmas shopping in London. No more kale with sausage. Eating stew at all. Sauerkraut, stew, red cabbage, Brussels sprouts. Never putting on your Uggs on a winter wonderland walk again. Tucking yourself into a very warm blanket like a rolling mop. Reading a book in front of the stove. Never having an oliebol again, or walking around in your favourite onesie....

Do you also spontaneously panic? Ha, think about that the next time you curse winter.