Student blogs

I used to live in a country with only two seasons: sun and rain. Yup, you read that right! It means we have summer all year round, just in two versions: the hot summer day, and the summer day with some rain in between. I lived on a tropical island close to the beach, where I could drive to the shore almost every weekend just to read alone and watch the waves. So calming!

When I was in Indonesia, I never knew the benefit of using a weather forecast. I mean, there’s no extreme weather that could harm you, right? So just go with your vibes. And now here I am, having moved to one of the coldest countries. This year will be my second winter in Stockholm. Unfortunately, my first winter was not easy because I had no real idea of what to expect.

But here are some dots I collected along the way, things I wish I had known during my first winter:

• Don’t wear sneakers in heavy snow.

I learned this the hard way on my first snowy night. I was in a Swedish class and needed to hurry home because my toes had gone numb. I was worried and messaged a friend for help, haha! Please don’t repeat my mistake. Either you’ll slip, or you’ll end up like me. Don’t worry, it was nothing dangerous!

• Layering is important, so double up your clothes.

A good winter jacket is essential, but layering is also a skill worth knowing beforehand. It can save you during the coldest months and let you keep enjoying walks in the middle of winter. My tip: look for warm inner clothes (preferably in plain colors so you can mix and match easily), both tops and bottoms.

• Set your expectations, and leave room for experience.

It’s human nature to gather as much knowledge as we can before jumping into something completely new, like winter. During my first winter, I was freaked out because everybody said it would be so bad and that the darkness would be hard. It scared me a lot, and it shaped my assumptions before I even had the chance to experience it myself. My takeaway: it’s fine to gather information first and be prepared, but don’t let it consume you. Leave some room to experience winter yourself and find something you like along the way, because we also need to enjoy the process.

• A small thing that helped me survive winter: Saffransbullar!

I know kanelbulle is the famous bun in Sweden, but I love saffransbulle even more. I wish I were joking when I say I wait for winter just so I can finally eat saffransbulle while watching the snow and sipping hot chocolate. And psst, saffransbulle is only sold during winter (at least, that’s what I know in Stockholm).

Yupp, that’s my experience. I hope you can learn from my mistakes and take it easy. Enjoy your first winter here! Vi ses!