Embracing The Climate

Growing up in Ireland, I grew quite accustomed to living in a cold damp climate. It was not always easy, I found myself yearning for the sun. You can go many days, without seeing a blue sky. But because of that, Ireland is so green, the Emerald Isle indeed. The dampness helps to keep everything lush and living now in a drier climate, I do yearn for the moss and ferns that grow in abundance in my home country.

From a young age, I knew I wanted to travel. My love of reading and nature, found me searching out books that took me to the far corners of the earth. I longed to see the jungle and the desert. To explore the mountains and the beaches. During my travels, I got a taste for the sun, what it was like to live in places, where you were guaranteed a summer and not just a hint of one. As someone who prefers to spend her time outdoors, it is a lot easier to do so, when the sun shines and it is not pouring with rain.

The rain never stopped me to be honest, one can always dress appropriately and still manage to be productive. I find it funny, that over here in the South Of Spain, when the rain comes everything comes to a halt. Every Thursday is market day, unless it is raining that is. Then the market is cancelled. If that happened in Ireland, nothing would every take place, as it rains most days.

Leaving Ireland, I moved to the U.K which has a very similar climate to Ireland. But when I went to live in Australia, it was very different. But I chose to embrace the climate. To allow my body to climatise. I arrived at the end of winter when the weather was still quite mild. I enjoyed the heat as it increased and chose to live in houses, where there was no air con. Which forced me to adapt more naturally to the heat.

Whenever I found myself in premises that did have air con, I found the heat more intense when I ventured outdoors. Which is to be expected. But our bodies are adaptable and when we allow them to feel, they will find a way to be comfortable.

My friends natural pool, one I get to use, in order to cool down during the very hot summer months.

On the very hot days, as long as I am near water, I can be comfortable. Keeping my head wet helps, which I do using a wet scarf, which I keep wet throughout the day. I have been able to walk into town in 40 degrees plus, by doing so. At night time when it does not cool down, I wet my bed sheet and sleep under it. If it is a windy day or night, I hang a wet cloth at our doorway and at the windows and as the wind blows through them, the air blows through cold.

Here in the South Of Spain, we get a lot of Southerly Winds, that blow in from the Sahara, such hot winds. Hanging wet material in the doorway and at the windows, is what helps to keep me and my girls cool, within our house truck.

This is my response to the following question from the Ladies Of Hive Community Contest.

We have women in the community from both hemispheres, the climate can be very varied. We want to know your tips or actions you take to withstand extreme temperatures of both cold and heat — do you have any original hacks?