Everybody knows how Iceland is an amazing place to visit: there are endless numbers of blogs, Instagram pages, and hashtags to follow about that.
But living at this latitude has its downsides, especially for immigrants coming from Mediterranean climate like me. In winter, days can be really short, the sun barely leaves the horizon to set again in a few hours. This means you have less time (and will) to do things outside, as it’s cold and it might feel a bit gloomy. Less sunshine means less Vitamin D which means experiencing feeling tired, struggling to focus, weakness, and mood changes that can lead to some sort of depression. Feeling tired and lethargic is a common symptom of vitamin D deficiency, everything becomes enormously difficult, from getting up from bed to leaving the house to meet friends for a coffee. Some Icelanders spend as much time as they can in warm countries during winter (oh, they love Tenerife), and I am trying to do the same, getting as much Italian sun as I can when I get to see family and friends back home. No wonder the syndrome linked to these kinds of problems has been called SAD! (Seasonal Affective Disorder).
So me in winter be like: Fake light therapy (exposure to a bright light that mimics natural sunlight), trying to spend more time outside (with poor results), engaging in random physical activity, and trying to think ahead to holidays. Endless hot teas and a million lights and candles in the flat help to create a cozy atmosphere. Comunity, friends or family meetings become something to hold on to, and it is a mutual hand we give to eachother if we manage to drag ourselves out there.
Aaand then summer comes! Yeah, right? Have you ever experienced a day with no night time?
Yes, exactly...
The endless sunshine in the summer can help with mood but drives my brain crazy. The day has no end, and the body doesn’t receive the signal that it's time to relax and prepare for sleep. If you're lucky enough to have black thick curtains in the bedroom, you'll see they do the job, but not quite. It is constantly midday light. Sometimes I pray for a rainy day, to have a little less light, but then it’s cloudy and not summery and I feel like I don’t know what to wish for anymore.
So me in summer be like: Sunglasses during breakfast and an eye mask for sleeping that leaves funny marks on my face. I look like I have been partying for weeks without going to bed ever.
But hey! I can finally HAVE TIME to do things, like meet people after work without feeling (all) the pain of being tired! Even if I finish at 10pm.
Fun fact, if I'm going abroad, as soon as the plane reaches a “normal latitude”, and I see the evening sky, I drop asleep like being unplugged. Finally. And I treasure the mild starry nights like it's the best gift of the summer.
This is something I might have underestimated when moving up here, although I see that not all the people are affected in the same way. It definitely changed the way I deal with stuff in life, and I see that the elements are way more present ruling how I feel and what I do.
In a way, it is like being more linked and connected with Nature, although sometimes I feel like it is slapping me in the face, rather than giving me balance and grace! In any case, it is what you get when you decide to live at this latitude!