TRAVEL | CULTURE

My Greatest Love Affair Began in the Cold November Rain

There is something very sexy about the rain that brings colorless fantasies to life in my brain

I used to hate November despite it being the month I was born, and I loved celebrating my birthday. It marked the beginning of the cold season which felt like my nemesis for many years.

When I moved to Seattle in my late teens, I hated the cold and rain that defined winter in the Pacific Northwest. However, I preferred it to the mountains of snow, ice, and sleet that were dumped over Philadelphia between November and March of any given year.

I learned to appreciate the long nights and soft raindrops that pelted gently against the large windows of my living room and bedroom.

Sometimes, I lit candles, put on sexy music, stretched, cooked, and talked on the phone while doing those things, or I would simply lay on my couch and listen.

My brother has had a thing for rain, especially powerful rainstorms that are more typical during hot summers in Philly. He listens to recorded storms to help him sleep, but I’ve also seen him stay up for hours sitting on our front porch watching, listening, and smelling a perfect storm.

Summer rain is definitely sexier as far as direct experiences go. There’s nothing like getting drenched outside while fully clothed when it genuinely feels refreshing.

However, nothing compares to all the long, dark, and cold evenings that roll around during the winter months in the upper northern part of the hemisphere.

It is fertile ground for me to try to satisfy my appetite for the seemingly countless things that I enjoy doing indoors and don’t make enough time for when the weather is consistently nice outside.

Late fall through early spring is when I tend to read books, not just stories or articles but entire books. It feels damn near impossible during other times of the year.

It’s also a time when I like to focus more on writing in general. This year is a bonus because I have two book ideas that I started working on last winter, and think I can pull it together enough to complete a draft for each one.

There have been many cold winters that I have endured by fantasizing about all the things I would do if I had more time and money. I wished I could be a snowbird (a person who migrates from the colder northern parts of North America to warmer southern locales, typically during the winter).

Several years ago, I decided to treat myself to a trip to Florida for an extended weekend during my birthday in November. I went again to meet a friend who was there with her family in January.

What a game changer. I can hardly believe that I had not done that sooner.

It is one of the best decisions I have made in my entire life. Every year since, except during the first year of the pandemic, I have made it a point to go someplace warm at least once from late fall to early spring.

Since most people don’t usually travel in November, January, or February, these are when you can find fantastic travel deals.

Crazy good.

There are little to no crowds. The locals are generally more relaxed and happier to engage. The off-peak travel season tends to be my own personal peak time to travel.

I love going to the beach, but not when the temperature makes me feel like I’m boiling and the throngs of people have me roiling.

Now that I live in Germany, I don’t have Florida, Central America, or the Caribbean close by to get away.

However, I do have Spain, Malta, Greece, and the Canary Islands that can almost guarantee some fun in the sun during these long, gray months.

Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, has become a new favorite destination, as has Castelldefels which is just north of Barcelona, Spain.

When you have these spaces and places to look forward to, on top of a very active imagination, most things shine a little brighter, no matter how dull or cold the day is.

I consider myself lucky but I have and continue to work hard to help create this lifestyle.

There is no trust fund I draw from or sugar daddy that supports me. I chose not to bear children and have instead helped family and friends raise theirs, so I’ve no major financial responsibility there.

I also don’t get my hair and nails done. Ever. Sometimes I splurge on clothes and dining out, but my biggest treat and ongoing love affair is —

TRAVEL.

This is how I got sunshine on a cloudy day…

A requirement for the monthly challenge submissions is to tag two articles that either inspired you to go to this place, have quality content about the same country you’re talking about or maybe it’s just a travel piece you really enjoyed reading.

Roberta Patellaro — Having first moved abroad at 16 years old, I have since lived in Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia. I’m interested in sharing the life of a modern expat.

Ethan Fine — Hi, I’m Ethan! I’m a college student studying abroad in Italy and exploring the world the best I can. Tag along by reading my blogs!