The cold didn’t just touch my skin. It touched my mood.
My first winter abroad, I underestimated everything: the darkness, the silence, the way streets emptied early. Back home, even when life is hard, the sun still shows up like a friend. Winter made the world feel distant.
At first, I tried to “tough it out.” I stayed indoors, worked, slept, repeated. Then I noticed I was losing energy. My mind was heavy.
A friend advised me: go outside even when you don’t feel like it. Walk. See people. Find light.
So I did. Small walks became therapy. I found a café I liked. I found a routine.
Winter taught me a major migration lesson: you can’t wait for motivation. You have to design your mental health.
Now, I respect seasons. I plan for them. I don’t act surprised when my mood shifts. I treat my mind like a system too.
Abroad made me more intentional about happiness—not as a feeling, but as a practice.
