University of Helsinki
The Finnish way to survive the gloomy days of winter is to increase the consumption of coffee, but are there other ways to overcome the winter blues?
“Avoid sitting inside waiting for summer. It will be a long time coming!” says Gretchen Repasky, employed at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM.
Originally from Alabama, USA, Repasky was used to winter temperatures before moving to Finland, but her first winter in Finland in 2010 still proved a memorable experience. It was the coldest winter in ages, with record amounts of snow.
“The most surprising thing to me was the excitement shown by most people to the snowy winter and the numbers of people outside all winter long. The snow provided a great environment for fun outdoor play,” Repasky reminisces.