4 months of Texas summers versus 4 months of Midwest/Northeast winters (Howe: neighborhood, rapes)

[illini528114]

Agreed. All of the magazines say Austin is a great place to retire, but my cousins that live there don't step out of the AC from June thru Sept or Oct!

[Westerntraveler]

Originally Posted by shyguylh

I definitely can tolerate the heat more than the cold. When it's cold, everything just seems to shut down because it's too, well, cold to do ANYTHING. Even when there are no ice storms etc that's the case, and when they are the case, it's ESPECIALLY so. Being snowbound or unable to drive due to ice storms, with the electricity out--no thank you. Also I am an avid swimming fan, and don't like it when it's too cold to swim, and no heated indoors pools don't count, it has to be OUTSIDE in a natural swimming hole like a river or lake etc.

Both extreme cold and extreme heat can be oppressive, though, they both are miserable in their own ways.

That said, I will say that as I am in my 40s now I find I can't take EXTREME heat as well as I used to. Starting around 95 or so it starts to become rather painful. I lived in Tucson from 1996-2006 (age 27-37) and used to all the time hike good decent 2-odd mile hikes (each way) even in June at high noon when it was 105'F and full-blast sunshine, and I wouldn't even bother taking any water along (it would get hot anyway) despite all the stern warnings, I would just get water at the store on the way home from leaving the hike. I was back in Tucson last July at age 44½, and I was not able to take it as well as I had when I lived there. I had to take (frozen) water with me and stop periodically to "fuel up," when I NEVER did such in the prior years.

The problem is this--anymore I don't like ANY extreme temperatures, cold or hot, and the 70-80'F period in spring is the one that is so unstable and all over the place. I would like somewhere to live somewhere where it was NEVER colder than 50, never hotter than 85--AND it didn't have a high cost of living AND it wasn't crowded AND it's not in southern California or such AND it's not on the coast (they tell me the ocean breezes help keep things stable). If you live somewhere where the winters don't turn you into a ice pop, the summers fry you like a pork chop; if you live somewhere where the summers don't fry you like a pork chop, the winters freeze you like an ice pop.

It sucks, frankly. I don't want to be fried like a pork chop OR frozen like an ice pop. but I don't want constant 30 mph wind gusts from the ocean, I don't want it crowded, I don't want it expensive like it is in southern CA. I want it ALL. Compromise and "taking the good with the bad" is for the birds.

I don't think you will find that in America.

[cBach]

The West Coast of Peru and Chile has that kind of climate.

[I LOVE NORTH CAROLINA]

I'll take the cold any day!!!!!!!!! The older I get, the more I HATE summer!!!

[BobTex]

I'll take Texas ... especially compared to the upper mid west.

I lived in Maine for 2 winters and my wife is from New Brunswick ... neither of us want to deal with the cold, its immobility issues, nor the preparation and work it entails. Having said that it is not as cold in New England as Minnesota, ND, Iowa, North and South Dakota ... etc..

The winter in the Pineywoods never slows me down and summer brings lake, pool, and beach time. I just don't get out and do manual labor at midday in Texas heat.

[Westerner92]

Originally Posted by cBach

The West Coast of Peru and Chile has that kind of climate.

Yeah, I was going to say the coast of New South Wales has what most people would describe as a perfect climate (think a wetter version of San Diego, so it's very green and no water issues), but it's very hard to immigrate to Australia, and the cost of living isn't high so much as inflated, which isn't good for visitors or others not earning a living there.

[neddy]

I will take the heat. I lived up north in NE for 3 yrs and hated it. Hated having to wear layers to go outside then take it off inside. Hated shoveling. We bought a house the snowplows covered the drive way, The 1st snowstorm I went through knocked power out for days,We had to be cut out of the house my our neighbors trees down everywhere, and that was only middle of Oct. Nope no thanks much easier living down south with no snow

[Siggy20]

Originally Posted by Westerntraveler

I don't think you will find that in America.

Hawaii is pretty darned perfect imo. Grew up there and the weather was glorious.

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by illini528114

Agreed. All of the magazines say Austin is a great place to retire, but my cousins that live there don't step out of the AC from June thru Sept or Oct!

August in the Texas heat is fun for me and my daughter.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

August in the Texas heat is fun for me and my daughter.

How much fun--but that's about what it takes to be outside during the hottest months--some sort of water recreation.

Otherwise, many of us (myself included) worship at the altar of refrigerated AC!