If you had to Leave Orange County- where would you move? (Irvine: how much, neighborhood)
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New York's Hudson River Valley: One of the most beautiful areas in the country. But the winters suck there.
Eastern Long Island, NY. But the winters suck there.
Key West, Florida
Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
Is OP a member of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints? Not being facetious, truly curious. OP shares some thought processes that is common amongst their members.
And, anyone who thinks the weather anywhere within the Rocky Mountain range or much of the midwest is easy to adjust to or live with obviously lacks experience with it.
Location: Grosse Ile Michigan and Sometimes Orange County CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IMidwestMom
And, anyone who thinks the weather anywhere within the Rocky Mountain range or much of the midwest is easy to adjust to or live with obviously lacks experience with it.
Although I admit that my wife and I have only 30 years or a bit less of experience with midwestern weather, we find it easy and emjoyable to live with. In fact, we moved back from Southern California in part because she found the weather intolerably boring. (I didnot. I prefer So. Cal weather and still spend part of each eyar there for work, but I do nto find midwestern weather difficult to live with, I just prefer warmer weatehr, but wither place is easy and enjoyable to live in to me.).
Although I admit that my wife and I have only 30 years or a bit less of experience with midwestern weather, we find it easy and emjoyable to live with. ~ Coldjensens
My direct experience with the Rocky Mountain and midwest weather is with Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisonsin ... mostly.
Travel and daily life in these states thru the long winters is very often difficult due to complications created by weather. While winter weather also brings great beauty to some areas, and the entertainment to be found can be enjoyable, to say that it is "easy" indicates inexperience in actually dealing with weather realted difficulties. Perhaps you are a snowbird and visit during the summer only? Ah, but then you are overlooking the often extensive and frequent flooding, tornados, and humidity -- all of which I have some significant experience with as well.
Although I admit that my wife and I have only 30 years or a bit less of experience with midwestern weather, we find it easy and emjoyable to live with. In fact, we moved back from Southern California in part because she found the weather intolerably boring. (I didnot. I prefer So. Cal weather and still spend part of each eyar there for work, but I do nto find midwestern weather difficult to live with, I just prefer warmer weatehr, but wither place is easy and enjoyable to live in to me.).
I think it has a lot to do with one's lifestyle. If you're the type of person who starts pulling their hair out if they can't do something physical outdoors for a couple of days, you'll have much more trouble adapting to life in the Midwest. But if you're basically an indoor person, you can be indoors anywhere in the country as long as the heat and/or AC are working.
I think it has a lot to do with one's lifestyle. If you're the type of person who starts pulling their hair out if they can't do something physical outdoors for a couple of days, you'll have much more trouble adapting to life in the Midwest. But if you're basically an indoor person, you can be indoors anywhere in the country as long as the heat and/or AC are working.
Problem - you still have to go outdoors occasionally (work, shopping, etc.). -70 wind chill factors and 20" snow drifts would be too much for me to handle on a daily basis for three months of the year.
Problem - you still have to go outdoors occasionally (work, shopping, etc.). -70 wind chill factors and 20" snow drifts would be too much for me to handle on a daily basis for three months of the year.
But how often does most of the continental US get -70 wind chills? I've been outdoors for short periods at 0 degrees F and its not the end of the world. Most places with snow have things called plows too.
Location: Grosse Ile Michigan and Sometimes Orange County CA
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I lived 25 years in MI then 18+ years in So Ca. then 5 years in MI and CA back and forth as needed for business (a day here, a week there, maybe a couple of months for a long trial).
We get a few days each year with wind chill in the -20 range. You mostly stay in. You remote start your vehicle (or dash out, start it, dash back in), let it warm up, walk to it, drive to a parking garage and enter a heated building. That is barely different than I would do in California on many days. Usually I would not wait to warm up my car, but some days I needed to wait for it to cool off before I could drive it.
In the evening or on the weekends if it is that cold you pretty much stay inside, so we might go shooting at an indoor range, swim at an indoor pool, hit some balls at an indoor driving range, visit Grandpa, watch a movie, sit by a fire and read a book, write long posts on CD, build something out of wood, attend a sporting event or a play, visit a museum, go to an indoor waterpark, shoot some pool, dance, do some wiring, clean the house, etc. Again it is only a few days a year and I do indoor stuff some days when the weather is wonderful.
However when it is not windy it is beautiful to be outside in the winter. Especially when it is in the mid 20s, crystal clear, vibrant blue skies, sparkling white snow everywhere, and so still and silent you get a feeling of awe (especially when it is snowing). You can run, or ski, or chop wood without sweating. It is great to just lean agasint a tree and listen to nothing, or watch deer, or woodpeckers, or a fox or whatever you might see in the woods.
I enjoy driving in the snow (not so much in ice). It has a camp sort of feeling to it. Only one lane open. People are particularly courteous and helpful to one another becasue you have to be. No one expects you to be on time. 20" snow drifts happen maybe two or three times a year. You have a couple of choices: drive through them; dig, snow blow, or plow through them; work from home; take the day off. All of these are fun choices to me.
Our major roads are usually cleared and dry within a few hours or at elast a day of getting snow or ice. (Much to the dismay of our kids who love snow days). It is very rare that it is a big problem to drive, and even more rare if you have 4wd. Our biggest issue is getting stuck in the driveway. That only happens a few times a year as well. It happens about as frequently as I burned my legs getting into a car in CA that was sitting in the sun.
Even up north where they get real snow (i.e. measured in feet not inches) the roads are usually cleared right away. If you can get out of your driveway, travel is fine.
The spring and summer are amazing. Everything is vibrant green punctuated here and there with wildflowers. Beautiful lakes streams and rivers host swans, geese, ducks, herons, egrets, bald eagles. Thick woods allow glimpses of foxes, deer, coyotes, and more. PSring has a wodnerful jubilant new begining to it. Everything and everyone wants to frolic and play. Horses are particularly fun to watch. Fall also has an undescribable charge to the atmosphere. It iis impossible to describe. However everyone who lives here loves fall. Not just the colors. It is everything about fall. It cannot be described. No fall was my wifes biggest issue with So Ca. (early fall is the hottest time of year there).
In the summer, we do not get a lot of humidity, only a few weeks each year. It is never 100+, we do not use Ac in the house. Even though we live on a river, we have had no threats of flooding. It rains a lot and the rain is fun, especially sunshowers when it is warm rain. You can grow anything by throwing seeds in your yard (except citrus and no birds of paradise) Even the mud can be fun for a while. We do get tornado warnings from time to time. We hang out in the basement and watch a movie or play board games. It is great family time because we are forced to be together. Other places have their own risks, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, floods, landslides, dangerous heat, etc. Every place has something.
Yes, there are mosquitoes. Again that does not make life hard or unpleasant. You need to stay inside or wear stinky spray from 7 p.m. to about 9 p.m. and sometimes at dawn. Otherwise they are not really a problem. I hate the oily stinky spray, but I would not say that it makes life hard or unpleasant. It is just a minor annoyance. Mosquitoes go away in the late fall and do not return until summer. Besides, most places have mosquitoes or something to take their place. So. Cal. had few mosquitoes, but does have major fleas and roaches roach, loads of black widow spiders, and tree rat infestations. Not as annoying as mosquitoes and deer flies, black flies and other biters, but it is a trade off. Both places are great. I certainly woudl not call the midwest unbearable, unpleasant or significantly harder. You do have to toughen up a bit. It is not a place for the weak or pampered.
I prefer the So cal weather, but my wife sees every day as warm/overcast - hot/clearing - nice- repeat each and every day. No thunderstorms, no snow, no fall, no real spring or winter, not much change at all. The change that there is is very gradual, nothing dramatic - yawn.
But how often does most of the continental US get -70 wind chills? I've been outdoors for short periods at 0 degrees F and its not the end of the world. Most places with snow have things called plows too.
I've been inside a big freezer during the Summer (-20F) and it actually felt nice. But there was NO air flow. That makes a big difference.
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