h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

...write maudlin poetry about how melancholy it is that the birdies are flying south and nature is going beddy-bye...

You're right, pull up your socks and get on with it.

If you have SAD, which is a medical disorder caused by your brain chemicals and the lack of sunlight, you might try this:

- Moving to a more southerly latitude (worked for me).
- Buying a full-spectrum lightbulb (worked in Philadelphia).
- Using a tanning booth in winter (also worked in Philadelphia).
- Ignoring people who are tell you to pull up your socks (doesn't really work, so growl at them instead).

Grr.

I'd quite happily move to Andalucia. Maybe that would be a good excuse

I used to live in Greece. It's a perfect latitude for people with light problems.

I thought about moving to Greece at one time, but I couldn't get on with the alphabet

I spent six months living in Tenerife a few years ago, but the expat community are very insular, don't like strangers and don't like the Spanish. At my first job interview, I was asked what I was running away from - 'police, child maintenance, drugs gangs...?' I got the job, but I found it wasn't very easy to meet the Tenerifos, and we left as soon as we could afford to. Shame, really.

That's a shame.

We lived in Greece for five years, teaching English. Greeks are funny about foreigners - it's the only country in Europe where I *wasn't* taken for a native - but they're a friendly lot.

Back in the 80s, it was cheap, too.

I know what you mean about running away...lots of strange Brits with even stranger stories used to hang around 'Dirty Corner' in Athens...as had Byron before them...