Monday, November 24, 2008

Home is Where the ... Weather Is!

    A few days ago I left balmy Southern California, where it was a sunny 72 degrees, to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with family in Buffalo, New York, where it’s currently, OMG, 29 degrees.

    Does the thermometer really go down that far? Apparently so.

    There’s snow on the ground here. It’s cold, my friends! I packed warm clothing but I must confess, there is absolutely nothing in my wardrobe that could possibly withstand the level of chill I feel when I walk outside my father-in-law’s house. It is down-to-the-bone frigid and it makes me wonder why anyone would live here when they could live in a warmer place. Like, say, Southern California, for instance.

    On the other hand, my mom lives in the Southern California desert near Palm Springs. I spent a week with her last summer and it reached 118 degrees every day. You read that right! I seriously wondered who in their right mind would live here when they could live in a cooler place? Like, say, at the beach where I live.

    Why do any of us live where we live? Did we choose it? Were we born there and never felt the need to leave? Did we move there with our spouse? Maybe our company transferred us there or we went to college in the area and decided to stay. There’s something that keeps us tied to our area of the country and it’s probably not weather. Well, not completely.

    The woods behind my father-in-law’s house are beautiful, especially when the sky is blue and the trees and ground are lightly coated with snow as they are now. People are friendly and greet him with a smile. I can see why he loves it here and why he’s stayed here his entire life. I can also see why his son, my husband, moved away after college as fast as his legs could carry him. He loves warm weather and loves the beach even more than I do.

    My mother loves the sun and wouldn't move away from the desert for any amount of money.

    I have friends in Southern California who, despite having lived here all their lives, can’t wait to move to a cooler climate. They’re exploring towns in Utah or Colorado and I can see their point. Let’s face it, SoCal weather conditions cause fires and mudslides. We have earthquakes. It’s hardly paradise. I’ve had friends who’ve moved away after one too many earthquakes and are so much happier now. One friend moved to Florida and has lived through four hurricanes and she’s still happier than she ever was in California.

    So why do we stay wherever we are? It’s not about the weather, is it? No, it’s much more simple than that. It’s just ... home.

    Where do you live? What do you love about it? How’s the weather? Snowy and cold? Rainy and wet? Sunny and balmy? I’ve got a $15 Amazon gift certificate to give away for the most interesting weather report!!
    Source URL: http://extravagancedeplumes.blogspot.com/2008/11/home-is-where-weather-is.html
    Visit extra vagance de plumes for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

No comments:

Post a Comment

My Ping in TotalPing.com

Blog Archive