Volume up! I Love Weather That Brings Its Own Soundscape

The place where I live is perfect for that - especially in autumn

When the world is too loud

Being an HSP and very sensitive to noise, I find constant and/or loud noises very stressful, quite annoying and most of the time exhausting, really.

You won’t find a TV, radio or music blaring in our house.

To my ears, our electric kettle is awfully loud and I usually leave the kitchen until the water boils.

And don’t get me started on plastic packaging.

Why is everything wrapped in ugly, noisy plastic these days?

(That in itself being a very good reason to use zero-waste shops.)

And then there is the outdoors.

Lorries, buses everywhere, argh! Can at least more cars be electrical ones, please? I even enjoy the gentle whirring sound they make as they pass by.

But there’s worse.

Have you met these terribly noisy inventions such as leaf blowers, lawn edge trimmers and the like? If these are the benefits of civilisation, then I'd rather pass.

And what about the blary commercials and music in the supermarkets? Can anyone concentrate on anything in all that noise?

(There is a reason why my husband does the grocery shopping and I am very grateful for that. Plus, he is the one who cooks, and very good for that matter, so it does make sense. Phew, lucky me!)

You may have already guessed, noise is a frequent problem for me, even though I live (once again) in a small town.

I like soothing silence. And I need it.

There’s one notable exception: weather

When it comes to weather, though, I like it coming with its own soundscape.

Be it light rain, drizzle, steady rain or torrential downpours, I listen and smile.

Rustling Wind in the trees and in the reeds? Bring it on anytime!

I love it when the leaves get ruffled. Bonus when the branches creak slightly.

A slight storm howling around the house is also welcome.

I even like a thunderstorm - at least its distant rumbling.

So comfortable, so cosy.

Autumn in full swing

As autumn is in full swing in the northern hemisphere, it is a real treat for me. I love the colourful leaves, the chestnuts, beechnuts and acorns some of which I’d like to collect on my walks.

What's more, the wind from the west rarely lets us down and now makes more than just a guest appearance. For its recurrent role, it brings a whole bunch of rain clouds along that can hardly wait to onload their heavy luggage.

That’s why I embrace autumn after a somewhat boring summer (you know, blue sky, sun, no wind and warm temperatures all the time?!).

It’s the perfect combination of a rougher kind of weather, which sometimes likes a dramatic entrance, and shorter daylight hours, which makes it all the nicer to be safe at home, warm and cosy, after a long walk, during which you have been thoroughly blown through by the wind.

When the storm howls, the rain pours down and the occasional thunderstorm rumbles, I also feel the power of nature. And I am grateful every day anew for a safe place.

Other nature sounds are also wonderful

I also enjoy other nature sounds as well. They can be wonderfully calming and just beautiful.

Being by the sea never fails to fascinate me. The coming and going of the waves, their eternal sound is mesmerising. It makes me breath more deeply. I feel small and deeply connected at the same time. It’s a stunning experience!

In winter, I’m looking forward to the snow crunching under my boots. The only sound in a much quieter world than usual. Perfect!

And I am already looking forward to the awakening of the birdsong in spring.

Where I live is perfect for that

It's a good thing we live in northern Germany. The weather here is very changeable and generally goes with a lot of wind and rain. It's almost always windy here, truth be told. And although we don’t have 100 terms for snow, we do have at least 25 for rain.

I don’t live so close to the sea that I can listen to the waves, but I consider myself lucky that I have two seas to choose from, each only an hour's drive away. The North Sea and the Baltic Sea are quite different, but depending on what mood you’re in and what you are looking for they’re always well worth a visit.

In the meantime, however, I thoroughly enjoy the wind in the trees and the rain against my window. That’s my kind of weather.

And if the weather is quiet for once and I lie awake at night (I did that more often than not in recent years, but luckily not as often anymore), I enjoy Spotify’s Night Rain playlist while snuggling up under my warm blanket and go back to sleep easily.

I feel safe.

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