Spring is around the corner here in Germany.
For the past few days, I’ve been getting ready to welcome it.
I washed, dried, and stored my winter clothes. I brought out my spring outfits. Not only that, but I even started planning what to buy for the warmer months ahead.
While doing all this, I couldn’t help thinking about the effort it takes just to move from one season to another.
And that made me compare life here with life back home in India.
The biggest difference is not just the weather — it’s the effort required to live with it.
Growing up in tropical South India, life was simpler. The days and nights were almost the same length throughout the year. The temperature didn’t change much within a day or across seasons.
I could wear the same kind of clothes all year round. Going out required almost no preparation. Most days, the only decision was whether to carry an umbrella.
Here in Germany, everything is different.
Each season demands preparation. Clothes have to be rotated, stored, and maintained. The weather needs to be checked before stepping out. Temperatures change not just across seasons, but within the same day.
Living here often feels like constant adjustment.
More seasons bring more decisions.
That said, there is something beautiful about it.
I enjoy the eeriness of winter, the freshness of spring, the vibrance of summer, and the calmness of autumn. The passage of time feels more visible here. The year has a clear rhythm.
In contrast, back home, the seasons are different — marked more by rain and dryness than by temperature.
But the tropics have their own challenges.
The heat can be exhausting. The humidity makes you sweat constantly. Sudden rains can interrupt plans. In the harsh heat, you wish for rain. In the endless downpour, you wish for sun.
And yet, even with all that, life feels easier.
In the tropics, living requires less preparation.
There is no need to layer clothes or carry half your wardrobe on your body. There is no need to plan your day around the weather.
You can simply step out.
That simplicity is something I didn’t notice before I left.
Living in a place with four distinct seasons has made me realise something.
There is no perfect climate.
Every place has something to love and something to dislike. But the more complex the environment, the more it demands from you.
For someone like me, that can become exhausting.
I still find the changing seasons fascinating. But I prefer the quiet stability of the tropics.
Fewer seasons.
Fewer decisions.
A simpler way to live.