There are many reasons why I choose to be a digital nomad. Here is reason #12.
My primary residence is in Montreal, Canada. During the winter, it’s cold. And I mean damn cold. For example, today is -16C (4F) and with the wind chill it feels like -22C (-8F).
Some people don’t leave their home for many days. When they do, they need to wear heavy winter clothing. There’s also a reason why Montreal has the largest underground network in the world. You can cross most of downtown and never step a foot outside (because you don’t want to step outside)
When I was younger, the winters were not so bad because although it was cold, it was sunny, and there were mounds of snow. You needed to wear sunglasses because the sun would reflect off the white powder. You could also build snow forts and go downhill skiing. Activities like these keep you physically active while doing your best to celebrate the short days.
Today, with climate change, snow forts are not possible. Ski hills are struggling to operate just a handful of ski slopes. There just isn’t enough snow.
So it’s cold, dark, and no snow to enjoy.
At the moment, I’m in the south of Spain. Today is 18C (64F) and it’s sunny around 300 days each year. Yesterday I walked around in a t-shirt and shorts, wearing sunglasses.
The takeaway
Winter sucks these days. If you have the opportunity to get away, even for a week or a month, do it! Your soul will thank you.