When I first moved to Taipei—in 2010—the humidity drove me crazy. Everything was wet, all the time. My clothes, my bed, my skin, my hair; it always felt damp and sticky. It took a long 5 years for me to realize how worthwhile a dehumidifier was to invest in. Yet for the most part, I’ve become fairly accustomed to the humidity.

Aside from the stunning architecture, one of the main things I noticed while visiting Barcelona was the extremely dry air. My skin never felt so brittle. The insides of my nose felt like granulated salt. I would wake up in the morning feeling like I was breathing sand-infested desert air. So dry.

Barcelona is a beautiful city, but being back in Asia—and back in the humidity—has been a pleasant reunion. I’ve come to prefer the high humidity here and the softness it adds to everything.

Here are 3 great things about living in a very humid place:

1 - Humidity is great for the skin

It’s like air lotion, keeping the skin soft and glowing all the time. People ask me why I look so young. I think it’s the air.

2 - Humidity is great for your nose

My nose gets plugged up with junk all the time. It’s difficult not to be picking my nose constantly. That sounds gross, sure, but the great thing about the high humidity is its ability to keep things flowing. In dry environments like Barcelona, I feel like I need to jack-hammer my nose just to breath properly.

3 - Humid air is great for health

Apparently low-humidity environments spread more germs and air-borne viruses. Maybe that’s why everyone back home seems to be sick all the time in winter.