Prepping for another Heatwave

For days, I lived in complete denial.

"No way," I told myself. "One heatwave is already terrible and exceptional enough. There is absolutely no chance a second one is coming."

Well... my friends and family knew better.

They kept sending me weather forecasts that were scarier (at least to me) than the worst horror movies on Netflix.

Fifty degrees?!

That can't be right. It shouldn't even be legal.

Forty degrees? Impossible.

Thirty degrees? Jeezzzz...

Although, strangely enough, thirty suddenly starts to sound almost reasonable.

Now that the second Dutch heatwave is officially here—and has only just begun—I have to admit that I did prepare.

Mostly by talking about it.

With Paula: endless WhatsApp messages full of survival tips.

With my family: postponing a few activities until the world stops feeling like an oven.

With my animals: "Listen, everyone, we're going to survive this. It won't be as bad as last time."

The dogs already know the drill. We're on our tropical schedule now.

No more long morning walks with the four of us together. My husband gets to stay in bed while I sneak out with the dogs as early as possible—preferably before seven in the morning—for a short walk before the sun turns into an angry laser.

In the evening, my husband takes over. Being the ultimate night owl, he handles hot evenings much better than I ever will.

Then there are all the outdoor animals.

More shade.

A completely different daily routine.

Fresh water every day—and a thorough scrub of the water bowls because after just one hot day they somehow look like someone made cauliflower smoothies in them.

The rest of the plan?

Stay inside.

I even saved special work for these hot days. Last time I was mostly in shock. This time I'm trying to be as creative as possible instead.

There are designs to make, sewing patterns to cut out, beautiful fabrics to choose, and plenty of sewing to do.

A big glass of water nearby.

Cold yogurt.

Fresh salads.

I'm simply pretending this is some kind of peaceful retreat.

No despair.

As little complaining as possible.

After all, so many people have it far worse.

People who have to flee from wildfires.

People who have nowhere cool to go.

People who cannot afford air conditioning, fans, or even a freezer full of ice.

That doesn't make the heat any easier, of course.

But it does help me keep things in perspective.

Apparently, I'm not the only one living like a vampire these days.

Curtains closed.

Lights low.

Living in the dark.

And then...

A piece of fabric caught my eye.

Pitch black.

Almost staring at me.

Yes!

That's it.

I'm making another Dark Academia outfit.

And while I'm at it, I'm sewing two more one-cup warmers—my CosyCozies—with a little Matcha embroidery on them.

Not to keep my matcha warm.

Oh no.

To keep it deliciously cold, with a big ice cube inside.

Now that's a summer survival plan.

So yes...

I think I'm ready.

If you're also dealing with this heat, I'm sending you lots of strength.

And if you're one of those mysterious people who actually enjoy a heatwave... (do people like that really exist?) then I sincerely hope you have a wonderful time.

And finally, a small message to politicians, world leaders, and policymakers everywhere:

Please... hurry up with serious climate action.

Because anyone who still denies climate change at this point must be living in an alternate universe.

Or, as the English saying goes: "They're not playing with a full deck."

Stay cool, stay safe, and let's all hope for a nice, ordinary rainy Dutch day again soon.

Marga van der Vet