Bizarro world: I want rain

"Rainy days and Mondays always get me down..."
The Carpenters ~ (insert drivel of a title here)

You know what I wish this part of the world had more of? Well, besides Dutch stores and  non-bible-beating people, of course. And well-prepared students. And let's not forget paid leave and people who use their blinkers. OK, so besides all of that, do you know what I wish Georgia had more?

Rainy days.

Yes, I'm serious, I wish we had more rainy days. And not because it would mean we'd use our sprinklers less, the farmers would be happier, and we wouldn't be on water restriction nine months out of the year, although all of that would be nice. No, because it would mean that I would finally have an excuse to lay around the house and do absolutely nothing. I know, it makes absolutely no sense, especially since I'm from a country where it does nothing but rain all the time, but there you have it. I need clouds and rain in order to relax.

In the Netherlands, and Germany for that matter, it used to be the total opposite. Whenever it would rain, and the clouds would threaten to completely envelop your day, I used to argue that those were perfect days to remain locked up in your office and get some serious work done. As dreary as the weather could get, there was no point in being outside, or even thinking about going outside, so one might as well stay in and work. Nothing like the incessant patter of rain on your windows to make you realize God really, really wants you to stay in your office and write that damn paper (although He probably wouldn't say "damn". Sorry God).

Now whenever the sun comes out, every single Dutch (and German and British) person I know loses their mind. Completely. After the second day of temperatures over 80 degrees, weather people talk about the possibility of a heatwave and the importance of staying hydrated in high-pitched, excited voices, while after the third day, there is a rush on portable AC units, and people start using words like "tropical" and "unprecedented". Seriously, all my Dutch readers know that as soon as the sun fills the sky, people take half-days off, spend hours drinking cool drinks at a "terrasje*", waste away time lying in the park, and will try to take their work outside as much as possible. In fact, I dare to posit that the outside temperature is negatively correlated with the Dutch productivity levels.

Well, in Georgia, it's quite the reverse. At least for me. Here, the sun shines all the time. I'm not kidding. Always. So sunshine is no longer associated with half-days, terrasjes, parks, and a general laziness. No, instead when you think of sunshine you think of AC bills of several hundred dollars, siding that needs painted and/or replaced every few years, sunshades that become brittle and fall apart, and melting pavement. In fact, most people around here can't wait to get into their offices when the sun's out, as their office is the only place that can afford to keep temperatures at around 68F.

So for me, nowadays, sun=rain in Holland. When I see it's sunny outside, I realize it's just another day like all the others, and I have lots to do, so I better hop to it. Even in the wintertime, when we can step outside, sunshine means there's lots to do. Because now you can finally paint that siding/wash those windows/prune the bushes without dying of a heatstroke.

On the other hand, whenever it low pressure hits, and it does start to rain, relaxation sets in. Running errands in the rain is a pain, so we don't. You can't do any outside chores in the rain either, and although you could definitely do some inside chores, it's raining, so you can't utilize any of your outside spaces, you can't clean any floors as someone will definitely get them muddy, and well, there is always tomorrow, when the sun will definitely be out again. In short, if it's raining, why do anything at all?


You can thus imagine my frustration when the weather predicted rain for today. How can I work when it's raining? We all know you should be asleep on the couch when that happens! It's not fair. Thankfully, the clouds disappeared, and I'm now looking out into a very sunny world once again. Phew.

But some rain in the near future would be nice. Thanks.



* A "terrasje" encompasses so many non-American things, it's almost impossible to describe. Imagine, first of all, all your town's stores located side by side along small streets in about a square mile. Then imagine that this entire square mile is a no-car zone. Then imagine squares with fountains and steps on a few corners. Then imagine that these squares hold shops as well as restaurants and bars. But let's make them nice, upscale bars without television screens and ESPN. And then imagine that all of these restaurants and bars have put small tables with chairs around them on the square. And that those chairs are placed so close together, people need to get up to let you through, and you can eavesdrop on every single conversation on the square. And that people can sit there, order drinks and food, and watch the world go by. That's a terrasje.