Winter Wonderland
It is officially winter here in Sydney. And it is COLD.
I didn’t expect for it to get cold in Australia. I mean, you picture Australia and you think sunny weather, clear skies, and sunbathing on the beach. You don’t expect continuous rain (my reality for seven straight days), strong 50kph winds, or going to sleep with two, albeitly thin, comforters, a long sleeve, and a sweatshirt. My friends mock me for complaining about the cold, but Australia has done a damn good job of branding itself to the world as a land of continuous sunshine where people consistently walk around in their swimmers or a tee.
The worst part of it is the limited hours of daylight. The Earth has finally made its way to the other side of the sun, resulting in the southern hemisphere tilting away from the sun and reducing the hours of daylight those of us Down Under experience each day. I’ve forgotten how much that BLOWS!
Over the past two years I’ve somewhat unintentionally managed to escape the worst parts of winter. While I was in southern Africa during their winter (it was still very warm over there), up in the Himalayas during the fall (only cold in the night and early mornings), and in New York in December (it’s not as miserable when everyone’s in the Christmas spirit), I somehow managed to chase the sun throughout my travels. Now that I’m settled in one place, there’s no escaping the winter. I’ve forgotten how much I’m impacted by the limited hours of daylight. I’ve forgotten how much I rely on the sun to boost my mood. I’ve forgotten how much the cold inhibits my willingness to get out of bed. Everything feels scarier in the dark and harder in the cold.
I’m reminded to tap deep within and draw out the long-forgotten techniques of living with rather than against winter: human connection, especially physical touch (no you pervs, I mean a friendly hug); going outside, and moving my body. It feels like it takes extra effort to do all those things when it’d be so easy to just sink and curl up in bed, letting the fears and demons take over. But I try to remind myself that no matter where I am, whether it be carving my life out in Sydney or being back in New York with an existing community, winter would still be hard, so I shouldn’t think any less of myself for struggling with winter here because I’d probably struggle with these same issues anywhere.
Vivid Sydney is a month-long festival that takes place each evening from the end of May to mid-June, during the beginning of winter (okay winter technically starts on June 1, but for me winter basically starts when it’s cold and then sun rises late). Once it gets completely dark, the CBD (central business district) lights up with colorful light installations and projections. It feels like Christmas in New York, with locals and tourists alike wandering around in awe despite the chilly weather and soaking up the joyful atmosphere. Oh and did I mention? It’s free!
Something I’ve admired about Sydney, and Australia in general, is how the government invests in and takes care of its people, whether that be affordable healthcare (the value of a life isn’t tied to employment), mandatory employer contributions (super/401K), or public restrooms with toilet paper and soap (what?!). I don’t know if Vivid Sydney is the result of the local Sydney government taking note of seasonal affective disorder (apparently this event is one of Sydney’s higher revenue generators and has significant impact of the local economy), but I’d like to think that care for Sydneysiders is one of the reasons.
