My growing appreciation for nature

When I think about nature in the Netherlands, I immediately get a negative feeling, especially in the winter months. Grey skies, a lot of rain and the cold. When I lived in the Netherlands, I rather stayed inside with a cup of hot chocolate and watching Netflix movies than go out of the house. Thinking about leaving the house and going through the cold gave me a bad mood. If I had to go outside to meet friends or going to class, I always went from point A to B without looking around me. When I moved to Munich for my exchange, I thought that nothing would be different, because Germany and the Netherlands are so close to each other. Until recently I discovered that I was wrong.

Since I moved to Munich, I walked a lot more than in the Netherlands. To Marienplatz, the Englischer Garten and university, almost everywhere I have to go is close enough to walk to. This is when my appreciation for nature started. Because I was able to walk so much, I really started looking around and see the nature around me. Red and yellow leaves on the ground, cold fresh air and the days getting dark sooner. Drinking Hugo’s at the TUM rooftop and seeing the alps in the distance. This is a view that you would never have in the Netherlands. Where in the Netherlands I would have stayed inside, I now notice that I am asking friends to walk together to places.

Not only walking has made me appreciate nature more, also the German culture has helped me. I have noticed that people in Munich enjoy the weather a lot more. They will wear big sweaters and take a walk through the Englischer Garten and drink glühwein, rather than that they would stay home the whole day. There are Christmas lights through the whole city, Christmas markets are about to open and Tollwood festival has begun. Winter months in Munich do not mean grey skies, rain, cold weather and sitting inside, it means Christmas, glühwein and a cosy ambiance through the whole city! Every time I am outside, I think about how lucky I am to live here in Munich with beautiful nature around me.

Living in Munich really makes me realise that I should appreciate nature in the Netherlands as well. Ice skating in Amsterdam, taking walks and enjoying the cold fresh air. Munich really taught me that I should stand still more sometimes and look around me and see how beautiful nature is.