you know those rich people who live in one part of the world for 6 months and then scoot over to another hemisphere so they can sweat and simmer in summer all year round? yeah. i’m the opposite of those people. i would take my billions and travel to where it’s always autumny and cool – all the time.

illustration: jen collins / hellojenuine

i have to admit that this post is mostly due to the fact that we’re experiencing 40°C / 104°F degree heat right now (and it’s not even february yet, groan.) i’m not a habitual complainer, promise – i’m lucky enough to live in a country that has the kind of weather everyone wants: mostly sunny, mostly all the time and mostly devoid of extreme weather conditions – unless you count the south easter in cape town as extreme.

photo: nich hance mcelroy

perhaps that’s why i yearn for cold weather as much as i do.

photo: emerson merrick

a lot of my readers are from overseas, and you’re probably rolling your eyes at me right now! but when i was in europe for a time and experienced the kind of cold people in the northern hemisphere are used to, i totally reveled in it.

photo: diana catherine

photo: kirill kuletski

if i wake up in the morning and it’s raining? that makes me happy.

photo: natalie kucken

photo: george eastman house

if i get to wear boots all day long? double happy.

all boots: totokaelo

if i have to put an extra blanket on my bed at night? that’s me basically dying of happiness.

photo: tess holley

quilts from kim eichler-messmer

… and if it starts SNOWING? i’d probably pass out from joy.

photo: daniel gebhart de koekkoek

photo: vladimir kostromitsky