In few days, I traversed across north America and really experienced the extremity of weather. Starting at Seattle,I first went to Toronto, via Chicago, then Ottawa, and Charlotte. On my way back, I stopped at Detroit. Several days later, I drove all the way down to San Jose, then LA.
Toronto was similar to Seattle then, about 45°F. Chicago was covered in snow, so was Ottawa. The temperature hovered around 25°F. Freezing temperature, 32°F, was something to celebrate. Charlotte, NC, was sunny and crisp. A simple long-sleeved shirt was all I needed for around 50°F. Detroit was punishing cold like 15°F. When I got back home, Seattle was covered with a light powder of white, one or two inches, but people was “stuck in the traffic” and must take a “work-from-home” day. Yeah right. That was the Friday before Christmas week.
I had a bit trepidation driving to San Jose. A friend advised me to get a set of chains, even that I have a 4×4. I did not take her advise and braved the road. There was no sweat what-so-ever, although southern Oregon saw ice on the road side. Temperature was about 45 to 50°F through-out. But San Jose greeted me with balmy 70s and bright sun.
A couple of days later, I was sweating under LA’s 82°F blazing sun. The mall witnessed healthy California girls in shorts and tank-tops. I was in simple t-shirts. What’s going on here? I turned on the TV and saw record snow-storms howling at most of the country.
At a social gathering, a woman commenting on her husband’s sensitivity to coldness. “Even in this warm weather, he needs a sweater.” It turned out that they have been living in sub-tropical of south-eastern Asia for the past 15 years. “What would he wear in Minneapolis, where Kid lives?” I wondered.
Weather affects people greatly, yet people live in all climates. They all complain, they all appreciate, and they all live with it.