Written by Usisipho
05 Apr 2018
The winter up north is famous for being cold, snowy and dark – what could there be to miss? Well, spring has just only just started but I’ve already found myself thinking of the things I’ll miss about winter. Here are five of them!
moreUpon the arrival of winter and the approaching Christmas season, cities around Sweden start to change. You’ll start noticing beautiful lights everywhere, from city streets and squares, to apartment windows. It makes for quite the sight!
There are some parts of South Africa where it snows, but it’s generally in the mountains, far from cities. In Sweden, it snows pretty much everywhere. I especially enjoyed it when it snowed at night. Not only is it pretty, but it brings about a sense of peace and relaxation. Walking down a quiet, bright-white street with trees covered in snow is an awesome feeling.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgzK342F6zc/
Along with the snow, come different activities. I was hesitant to run in winter at first, as it takes some time learning to judge whether it’s safe or not. Running on slippery ice is not something you should take lightly! But once I knew how to judge a good day, wow, what a revelation. The air is crisp and cool, you don’t have to worry about getting too hot, and fresh snow feels great underfoot.
I also had the pleasure of going for a bandy lesson and going Nordic ice skating for the first time. I’m a complete beginner when it comes to skating, but usually one learns quicker than expected. Bandy is exciting and fast-paced – a really fun sport. It’s a great way to learn how to skate, you’re having so much fun that you stop overthinking the skating part. Nordic ice skating quite a contrast – it’s serene, relaxing, and beautiful. It’s just you and mother nature for kilometres on end. If you like nature and the outdoors, you’ll probably love it!
I would highly recommend getting into winter sports. Just don’t forget to wear thermal clothing, gloves, and a beanie or warm headgear!
Fika just seems so much more special in winter. The cup (or many cups) of coffee warm you right up. The cinnamon buns taste so much sweeter. The rays of sunshine feel so much more precious. In winter, fika is a treat – there’s a reason it’s so popular!
One of the best ways of enjoying the winter is to cosy up! The lights and the fika help a lot with this. Since being indoors is often the best option, spending time with friends is great. Simply hanging out, watching a movie, or having dinner together is just so much cosier than in summer.
On weekend mornings one of the best feelings is waking up (…later than university days), looking out the window and seeing the snow-covered city. In summer, the sun is up before 05:00 am – not quite as cosy.
I previously wrote about what I found to be the hardest part of living in Sweden. But honestly, with the winter darkness, comes a lot of cool, new things!
Do you have any questions about the Swedish winter, or studying in Sweden in general?
Email me at usisipho.studyinsweden [at] gmail.com. It would be great to hear from you!
