It used to be boots, parkas, shovels and snowblowers, and now, it’s galoshes, raincoats and a colorful wave of umbrellas lining the hall that marks the arrival of winter. Somewhere towards the end of June, the skies open up, and rains cats and dogs almost nonstop until almost the end of the season in September. Whereas I was once chilled to the bone, my new southern hemisphere has me soaked to the skin. It reminds of an old childhood saying, “Poor lil’ ducky, him all wet, him no care, him waterproof!” A day like today makes me wish I was too!
Of all the challenges in adapting to life in Chile, the one of the most difficult to overcome is the correspondence of seasons to months. While I appreciate the warm summer temperatures in December, it is always a shock to see Christmas displays next to the summer outdoor furniture. The same holds true for the cold, rain, and “Winter Solstice” in June. It requires a concerted effort to suspend any concept of what a month should entail, and to learn to just accept the passing of the seasons.
However, as a gemini, who relished celebrating the passing of another year in sandels and shorts, and enveloped in whatever warmth could be generated in a Buffalo summer (which I have to admit was not always much different than the weather in Chile today), I am pining for an outdoor picnic, a summer breeze, and a jaunt on the lake!