Beast from the East

Countryside today.
I think I’m pretty much over the snow now. It has not been an enjoyable process going from the Southern Hemisphere (warm, sunny, dry) to the Northern Hemisphere (snowy, cold, wet). I worried that I wouldn’t be able to handle the weather back home in South Africa, but as it turns out I was fine. I liked it even. Only some days, as the weather crept close or became around 30 degrees, became a bit uncomfortable. Otherwise it was a dry, comfortable heat, often with a nice little breeze to help. Nothing like the humid weather of Malaysia or Japan, which I do struggle with. I was quite happy with the weather in South Africa. The current UK weather? Not so much.

Ok, I admit, there was a part of me that was a little taken with how beautiful everything looked buried under a few inches of snow, but now it’s all turned to slush, and it has been and currently still is just too cold. I worked from home three days (!!!) last week. Was a bit nervous doing so, but the thought of driving terrified me and I felt too cold to try and battle with this city’s terrible bus network. (Who wants to wait 20 minutes for a bus when it’s below zero out there? Not me for sure.) So I stayed home, venturing out only as far as the shop down the road for a sandwich one lunch time. Today I went for a farther walk and I’m still cold several hours later, inside, with the heating on full.(Again, it was pretty, but also fairly slushy and too cold.) Tommorow I’m going to have to stop hibernating and brave the drive to work and I’m not looking forward to it.

I have a beautiful tan from my trip back home, and it’s so pointless, because I’m bundled up in sweaters and scarves and gloves right now.

Snow piled up outside my door during the week.

(On the plus side, I’m glad this weather has hit only now, therefore not impacting on my holiday. I had to drive to get to the airport, my route taking me on a motorway which people were stuck for 12 hours on…I think it was this Friday? The thought of being stuck like that is terrifying. I’m so glad I could avoid it all and just work from home…I’m lucky in that way…)