Summer is well underway now. If you live in the northern hemisphere, the days are long and the sun is on its way to being about as hot as it gets in your particular climate. How do you stay cool when the weather gets hot?
The best way for me to stay cool is to stay inside with the air conditioning cranked up. It may not be the most fun, but it's better than heatstroke. See, in the Chicago area when it gets hot, it gets humid. Those two combine to make a hot day unbearable very easily. I think just a few days ago the temperature was about 92 and the dew point was at 76. That's like rain forest type weather, without the rain. It wasn't a fun day. There's nothing quite like walking out of work into a wall of humidity, across a baking blacktop parking lot, then getting into a car that could cook and egg on the dash. Well, maybe walking across hot coals over an active volcano, but that would be stupid.
I know a lot of people like to go to a local pool to cool off, but that is not my idea of fun. Think about it, you're basically taking a both with 100 other people who may not have the same hygiene standards you do. I don't even want to think about the little kids in the pool. Having said that, I did put my disgusting thoughts aside for a weekend so we could take the kids to a water park a few weeks ago. Oh, the things we do for our kids.
So, in short, I stay indoors. It doesn't have to be in the house, just inside somewhere with air conditioning. A movie theater works!
Extra Credit: If you've ever relocated hundreds of miles to a new home, did the climate play a role in your decision to move?
I've never relocated for a job, but I've often wondered if it would be better to live in the Pacific Northwest. I know they have hot days, but I don't think they are as common.
