05 November 2012

Coat Hunting

I didn't realize how cold it would be in Copenhagen during summer, or rainy for that matter. I thought that simply layering the few sweaters that I brought with me (all two of them) would suffice enough with a scarf and gloves. My cotton sweaters proved useless with the rain, soaking through sometimes touching my skin.

Shoes were another entirely different story. Tom's nor thin suede ankle boots do anything useful in the rain, obviously. None of them are waterproofed, and the rain just consumed the shoe material.
I didn't experience horrible weather in Russia nor in Riga- but I got a wonderful preview of the Scandinavian weather in Oslo during my 3 days there. I didn't think that Copenhagen would be more or less the same as Oslo. I didn't plan on bringing a coat from home. I only had a small luggage and my backpack coming into the eastern hemisphere. Bringing a coat simply would take up a lot of room. And I don't own any shoes for the rain. Sure it rains in southern California, but I don't think I have ever become desperate enough to actually get rain boots.

One day I gave up on being 'efficient' with what I brought with me, and I gave into looking for a coat- a lightweight coat for the rain, at least. I had already bought a couple of shirts and an extra pair of pants, so I thought I could do with one more item. I had to simply remind myself that because I got a new suitcase while in Riga, I did have extra room in the suitcase for purchased goodies from my time abroad.

It took me 3 days to search for a coat within my price range. The Danish currency is not friendly to an American wallet, or many wallets actually. But I managed to find a sale going on. It wasn't a coat meant for the rain, being a cotton shell with a polyester lining, but it would later fare very well in wet weather- and it kept me warm.

So $70 USD later and a hint of regret, this coat proved useful during the Danish summer rains and chilling gusty days. It slightly compensated for my wet feet, but it was a welcoming layer to cover me up when I needed it.


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