I’m an American who spent 6 months living in Europe. Here are 5 lifestyle changes I’ll be taking back with me to the US.

I’ll no longer let the weather affect my plans.

I’m lucky to have sunshine most of the year in my home state of Colorado. But because of this, when the weather is rainy, windy, or even overcast, I tend to talk myself into staying home.

But when I was in the UK, rainy days were a normal part of life. I didn’t want to waste time following my “nice weather or bust” mindset, so I started watching the locals. They had quality rain jackets and carried waterproof casings to go over their backpacks or bags to keep them dry.

I followed their lead and invested in a more heavy-duty raincoat, and I quickly learned that with proper preparation, the cold and rain aren’t bad at all. The moody weather often added to the overall ambiance of the day.