Sunshine

After a good time-out during the Christmas holidays, it was time to start life again on the island. Although it was wonderful to be back in my comfortable home environment, (which I surprisingly had to re-adjust to) when the break came to an end I was looking forward to returning to Ibiza. This was strongly influenced by one factor; the weather. I had completely got used to living in a Mediterranean climate so going back to the reality of Northern Europe was a bit of a shock to the system. It wasn’t only the cold that I found difficult to cope with. I had prepared myself for a drop in temperature but, waking up in my own bed, I could not get over how dark the days were! Of course they are always shorter at this time of the year but even during ‘daylight’ hours, the clouds stayed low and oppressive, so much so that cars had their lights on pretty much the whole day. This drastic change meant I initially struggled to motivate myself to do anything!

In Ibiza, it does get much colder in the winter, (I am even starting to wear gloves on my bike rides to school) but what we are blessed with here is sunshine. UV rays. The skies are not always pure blue but there is just so much more light around than back home. The clarity and sharpness of the air here is really notable, and it is only something you appreciate after living somewhere else. With so much sunshine at their disposal, Ibicencos are never forced to ‘make the most’ of the weather as it’s pretty much guaranteed all the time. It is totally normal to spend a beautiful, sunny day indoors because tomorrow will probably be exactly the same, For example, one Saturday my flatmates and I spent an entire day cleaning the kitchen (surprise, surprise) while the sun gleamed through the windows. They found it hilarious that I was desperate to go outdoors and soak up the rays; for them a sunny day is nothing special. Good weather is taken for granted.

It was only when I left the island’s bright environment and exchanged it for bleak Dutch clouds when I realised how good the people have it here. It is surprising how much difference the sun can make to your daily life, such frequent exposure definitely has positive effects. I now understand why so many expats are attracted to living out here. Good weather really does wonders to your mood and energy levels; in short, it’s a lot easier to be happy.

With less than five more months ahead of me, I really have to make the most of living in such a special environment. Before I know it I’ll have to reajust back to rain and gloomy skies and this paradise will seem like a million miles away…