Something people always talk about this time of year are those January Blues.
Christmas is over and there is no longer an excuse to over eat and drink in celebration of the festive period, the new school term has started and everyone is back at work. Sigh.
Another major contributing factor to the misery that January often brings, especially in Britain, has to be the weather.
Despite Britain's rainy reputation you may be surprised to know that it doesn't rain that heavily or often throughout the year. It is usually overcast, cloudy, grey, dull whatever you want to call it. But rainy? Rarely for prolonged periods of time.
This January has brought around more rain than I've seen in a long time. It has been relentless. As much as I love living in the UK it would be nice to wake up to sun more often. These never ending downpours have caused devastation for many people across the UK in terms of flooding. Admittedly, many have not had the best start for 2016 on account of the inopportune rainfall.
Usually though, I love the rain.
I love loud, torrential rain. Not that fine spray that you get some days. If you're gonna' be rain, be proper rain, right?
Whether you're outside or inside, rain can create some of the nicest of feelings.
Being out in torrential rain for reasons you can't really remember or quickly regret before collapsing in a soggy mess in your dry, central heated doorway can lead to one of the most tranquil feelings. The feeling after you've peeled your heavy, clinging jeans from your almost frost bitten legs and chucked on some joggers or pyjama bottoms. The feeling after you've pulled back your hair that was moments before stuck in straggly clumps to your cheeks and forehead. The feeling after you've made yourself a nice cuppa and commenced Veg-Out-Mode on the sofa under blankets in front of your favourite Netflix series (or Disney classic) with a burning nose, toes and cheeks having trawled exhaustingly yet refreshingly through the fresh air.
This is a feeling I'm sure many if not all of us have experienced, a feeling that couldn't be created any other way, but by the rain.
Being curled up inside doing work or doing nothing is another time that I enjoy the rain. I'll often be sitting on my bed (or in my bed temperature and mood dependent) either working, revising, or more feasibly watching Netflix or YouTube. I'll hear the rain before I notice it. It'll begin with a light tapping on my window before escalating into a thunderous riot that feels as though the elements are trying to break into my room. Watching the rain fall and the trees lean in the wind makes me so grateful to be protected by the walls surrounding me. There is nothing more cosy than being warm and dry and watching the weather from behind the safety barrier of my window.
Rain in the tropics is a whole other thing.
Tropical rainstorms are something that I will always love. Some of my favourite memories from childhood holidays are about watching the thunder and lightening dance amongst the voluminous raindrops. As well as being a refreshing and cooling interlude to the often blistering, humid days, rain in the tropics (as well as the sun) is the main reason for the luscious, vividness of the plants and the flowers that we all love when we go on holiday.
Rain is often given a bad reputation. It can be inconvenient and irritating among other things.
But really there are lots of good things that come from rain, those that I have mentioned among many more.
So next time it rains, thing about the good things that can come of it. How grateful you are to be indoors, or how grateful you will be when you're finally back in the warm.
Staying positive!
'til next time,
Hannah xo 