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I remember earlier you complained about highs of 83 F on Christmas, and that as a child you grew up by the air-conditioner...
Has your exposure to long, cold winters with possible extreme cold temperatures actually make you not only accept heat,
but perhaps enjoy heat for the first time, even "intense heat," since muggy and 95 F is like a heat index of 110 F?
My difficulties with cold as experienced over a decade of childhood had a cumulative effect, making it very easy to remember how cold it is, remembering at least 100 times my skin has stung from the cold, and as I grew up, I became to appreciate really hot-days, since I found for myself as long as I stay hydrated I have no difficulties, other than being very oily.
That's how as a kid I was able to handle long exposures to high heat and stay in a positive mood; just remembering how difficult it can be when it's below 15 F outside and comparing it to the heat indexes above 110 F, the hot days still weren't as difficult... and an added bonus was thinking "Wow, at this temperature it's impossible to be cold" since in Toronto, we can have slightly cold weather even mid-summer.
Yes experiencing these long cold and lest not forget MISERABLE northern winters has made me appreciate being warm. The benefits to living in warm weather far outweigh cold weather. No layering up, putting on boots, tucking in my pants into my boots, thats a chore in itself! No bed heaters, and mittens, and deicing and shoveling, salting, loosing power and just being cold period!! I can put on shorts, shirt, flip flops and hat and walla be gone!! I will say I don't miss EXTREME heat.. 95+ is hard anywhere you are, esp where I was in Fla becasue I was so far a south the humidity is 10x's what it is in say northern Fla of Tampa or Orlando. ..
The people always told me oh in the cold you can just put on more layers, but with the heat there is only so much you can take off. I've found this is not true.. In the cold there is only so much you can put on and STILL be cold!!! When that wind hits you it doesn't matter how much you have on you're still freezing!!!!! In the heat we always went in the pool or to the beach and you didn't notice it. Yeah it stinks to work outside in either one but as far as play and all that goes the cold is by far much harder to deal with.. And oh the aches and pains it brings upon your body.. AND THE HEATING COSTS!!!!!!!!! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My heating cost for a 1 bed practically studio apt is over $300 a month.. In Fla I had a 3 bed 2 bath condo with 12 ft cathedrial ceilings (which btw rent is cheaper down there my 3 bed condo was $200 less than what I pay for the studio, which was the cheapest apt I could find here) and paid $75 a month for a/c even in the dead of summer.. There is no comparison its by far way more expensive to live in the cold because of all the extra costs you must inccure.. Not only that they require car inspections up here, just the city tax to register my car here is what I paid down in Fla.. I also have to pay a state tax which is MORE than what I pay for the city tax.. Cost me over $120 to register my car on my birthday.. Thats more than what I paid to register my car, renew my tags AND my license in Fla in one day.. Its just pitiful really.. Canadian why suffer.. move your tushy down south will ya!!
Tara, you are so right. At one time Fla. used to be super cheap and now it's caught up with the Northeast. The residents were so used to such low prices that they are in total shock now. (Not that they didn't have help getting into their financial mess down there) Their insurance and taxes may be high, but in reality they pay little for their utilities compared to their Northern counterparts. As you've discovered, it's not just a few extra clothes and a pair of boots and a coat, there are so many more expenses in the wintery areas. We can't forget the snow shovels and the snow blowers and the ice scrapers for our cars and our roofs, not to mention the high heating costs and keeping our cars in good shape so they'll start in the cold.
Since you were Floridian born, it's great that you got a chance to be out in another part of the country. I have a sis in law who was also Floridian born and lived in the North for several years. She had no idea how cold it gets and all the problems and expense that winter brings. You've had an experience that not everyone has had so you're far ahead in knowing the pros and cons of both areas.
Tara, you are so right. At one time Fla. used to be super cheap and now it's caught up with the Northeast. The residents were so used to such low prices that they are in total shock now. (Not that they didn't have help getting into their financial mess down there) Their insurance and taxes may be high, but in reality they pay little for their utilities compared to their Northern counterparts. As you've discovered, it's not just a few extra clothes and a pair of boots and a coat, there are so many more expenses in the wintery areas. We can't forget the snow shovels and the snow blowers and the ice scrapers for our cars and our roofs, not to mention the high heating costs and keeping our cars in good shape so they'll start in the cold.
Since you were Floridian born, it's great that you got a chance to be out in another part of the country. I have a sis in law who was also Floridian born and lived in the North for several years. She had no idea how cold it gets and all the problems and expense that winter brings. You've had an experience that not everyone has had so you're far ahead in knowing the pros and cons of both areas.
exactly it goes beyond just the coats and mittens! Just the upkeep on the car alone with dig you right into the hole! Thats before you slam into the pot hole the side of your bumper you didn't see with that lovely small dusting of snow over it! I don't think most people realize that( I had an idea but wasn't clued into the extent of the expenses!) I'm happy for the experience but sad that it was for all intensive purposes a waste of time and money lol. But can't change the past to gotta roll with the punches!
Yes experiencing these long cold and lest not forget MISERABLE northern winters has made me appreciate being warm. The benefits to living in warm weather far outweigh cold weather.
No layering up, putting on boots, tucking in my pants into my boots, thats a chore in itself! No bed heaters, and mittens, and deicing and shoveling, salting, loosing power and just being cold period!!
I can put on shorts, shirt, flip flops and hat and walla be gone!!
I will say I don't miss EXTREME heat.. 95+ is hard anywhere you are, esp where I was in Fla becasue I was so far a south the humidity is 10x's what it is in say northern Fla of Tampa or Orlando. ..
The people always told me oh in the cold you can just put on more layers, but with the heat there is only so much you can take off. I've found this is not true.. In the cold there is only so much you can put on and STILL be cold!!! When that wind hits you it doesn't matter how much you have on you're still freezing!!!!! In the heat we always went in the pool or to the beach and you didn't notice it. Yeah it stinks to work outside in either one but as far as play and all that goes the cold is by far much harder to deal with.. And oh the aches and pains it brings upon your body.. AND THE HEATING COSTS!!!!!!!!! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My heating cost for a 1 bed practically studio apt is over $300 a month.. In Fla I had a 3 bed 2 bath condo with 12 ft cathedrial ceilings (which btw rent is cheaper down there my 3 bed condo was $200 less than what I pay for the studio, which was the cheapest apt I could find here) and paid $75 a month for a/c even in the dead of summer.. There is no comparison its by far way more expensive to live in the cold because of all the extra costs you must inccure.. Not only that they require car inspections up here, just the city tax to register my car here is what I paid down in Fla.. I also have to pay a state tax which is MORE than what I pay for the city tax.. Cost me over $120 to register my car on my birthday.. Thats more than what I paid to register my car, renew my tags AND my license in Fla in one day.. Its just pitiful really..
Canadian why suffer.. move your tushy down south will ya!!
I cannot comprehend how living in warm weather could be a challenge, aside from there being plenty of bugs. Our summers are predominantly warm, lasting anywhere from 3-5 months and 95-99% of the population is happy with it warm.
Yes getting dressed can be a chore, but quite a few of those things you mentioned would be a non-issue in a major metropolitan area. Where I live we have underground power lines and never lose power. Also perhaps because of "heat island effect" and other geographic factors, we only get maybe 60-80% as much snow, ice or rain in winter as places out in the country.
I can do that too, in summer most of the time, in spring when we get warm spells.
95-98 F is delightfull for me, all I get is oily and thirsty, never any breathing difficulties. However it is extremely uncommon for the air to be still during daytime up here. We always have gusts at 10 mph coming at least once or twice a minute. That's all the refreshment I need. I hear in Florida the air is very still in summer. Is that true? Does it stay still all summer long?
Working in high heat is easy if you do not have to stay dry. I worked construction in 98 F with a t-shirt tied on my head, soaking it every 30-45 minutes. That kept me plenty cool and comfortable.
Every place is different in prices, but overall there are probably more costs (but not neccessarily higher costs) living with cold winters.
Why suffer?
I was born and raised Canadian. For us, (or at least me) it's as if the whole world is cold anyways. In Canada there aren't much choices for climate-styles and most English-speaking countries (mine included) make it very difficult for others to legally immigrate.
Florida is American and I am not.
I would lose a lot of money from immigrating as well as relocating. America does not currently have a strong economy or internationally-competitive wages, and if I do what I do now for work, I can expect a significant decrease in quality of life, aside from having weather that might make me smile 300+ days a year.
Tara, it wasn't a waste of time and money. Just think of how much you've experienced and learned and how much happier you'll be in Fla. The next time someone starts whining, you can tell them about how rough life can REALLY be. Sorry, I don't mean to minimize some of the problems down there. I'm just saying problems aren't isolated only to one area of the country.
CC, bite the bullet and start applying for citizenship now. You may not have as much $$, but you'll be happy with your life. I personally know exactly how you feel about living in a climate that you hate. I'm just patiently waiting for DH to start packing his bags so we can head for warmth.
I cannot comprehend how living in warm weather could be a challenge, aside from there being plenty of bugs. Our summers are predominantly warm, lasting anywhere from 3-5 months and 95-99% of the population is happy with it warm.
Yes getting dressed can be a chore, but quite a few of those things you mentioned would be a non-issue in a major metropolitan area. Where I live we have underground power lines and never lose power. Also perhaps because of "heat island effect" and other geographic factors, we only get maybe 60-80% as much snow, ice or rain in winter as places out in the country.
I can do that too, in summer most of the time, in spring when we get warm spells.
95-98 F is delightfull for me, all I get is oily and thirsty, never any breathing difficulties. However it is extremely uncommon for the air to be still during daytime up here. We always have gusts at 10 mph coming at least once or twice a minute. That's all the refreshment I need. I hear in Florida the air is very still in summer. Is that true? Does it stay still all summer long?
Working in high heat is easy if you do not have to stay dry. I worked construction in 98 F with a t-shirt tied on my head, soaking it every 30-45 minutes. That kept me plenty cool and comfortable.
Every place is different in prices, but overall there are probably more costs (but not neccessarily higher costs) living with cold winters.
Why suffer?
I was born and raised Canadian. For us, (or at least me) it's as if the whole world is cold anyways. In Canada there aren't much choices for climate-styles and most English-speaking countries (mine included) make it very difficult for others to legally immigrate.
Florida is American and I am not.
I would lose a lot of money from immigrating as well as relocating. America does not currently have a strong economy or internationally-competitive wages, and if I do what I do now for work, I can expect a significant decrease in quality of life, aside from having weather that might make me smile 300+ days a year.
Well the heat up north and the heat down south are two totally different heats. You can't even compare NC heat to South Fla heat because SFL is 10 times worse for sure. Summers in Fla are very still. Its one thing to have a hot summer with a breeze however in Fla there is no breeze so its just literally what they call dead heat. You will find it IS infact hard to breath in that kind of heat and the humidity is unlike the humidity you have experienced in other places. Its subtropical so the humidity sometimes is more than the temperature outside. You can die staying outside in South Fl for a short period of time if not prepared. Not everyone can manage the heat and humidity down there. It'll fog your glasses up before you can get fully out the door no joke.
We'll if you can't move down then you should visit Come down to Naples in August where we wer up into the 115 degree mark with 100% humidity you'll definetly get your fill of being warm!
Well the heat up north and the heat down south are two totally different heats. You can't even compare NC heat to South Fla heat because SFL is 10 times worse for sure. Summers in Fla are very still. Its one thing to have a hot summer with a breeze however in Fla there is no breeze so its just literally what they call dead heat. You will find it IS infact hard to breath in that kind of heat and the humidity is unlike the humidity you have experienced in other places. Its subtropical so the humidity sometimes is more than the temperature outside. You can die staying outside in South Fl for a short period of time if not prepared. Not everyone can manage the heat and humidity down there. It'll fog your glasses up before you can get fully out the door no joke.
We'll if you can't move down then you should visit Come down to Naples in August where we wer up into the 115 degree mark with 100% humidity you'll definetly get your fill of being warm!
How often would you experience gusts? Every few Minutes, hours, days, weeks?
Here it is practically impossible to not have a gust, or the sense of air mixing once every 5 minutes.
My parents have been to Ft. Lauderdale in summer, it was 93-95 F there. They told me if I like 97-98 F here I probably wouldn't mind their heat. The heat in south FL is not a big deal to them.
I still don't think the heat in south FL will be a problem for me:
- I like sitting in parked cars listening to the radio, windows rolled up, (no breeze) sitting on the sunny side, cabin temperature at 108 F
- I like dry saunas and steam rooms
- I can breathe air so hot it burns my airways, so no challenge extracting oxygen.
Not everyone can handle Toronto's heat and humidity in a heat wave, but I manage quite well.
Maybe I will come for a summer visit, hopefully during a heat wave.
Last edited by ColdCanadian; 03-03-2008 at 07:20 AM..
CC, bite the bullet and start applying for citizenship now.
You may not have as much $$, but you'll be happy with your life. I personally know exactly how you feel about living in a climate that you hate. I'm just patiently waiting for DH to start packing his bags so we can head for warmth.
Ah yes, but to which country?
(actually most places you have to be a permanent resident a few years before you can be a citizen)
If I pick the U.S., I'll have less "take home pay" than here, plus I'll have to pay hundreds to thousands to visit a doctor. I've heard just to have a baby delivered in the U.S. costs anywhere from $4,000 to 45,000. (met a guy who's wife had some complications at birth and that was their bill) Here it's almost free to have a baby delivered; the main thing you'll spend here is time.
Australia can be nice and warm, I think it has univeral health care and I here their economy might be doing well. I think I heard average annual income might be $55,000. That would probably make it a smarter choice, as long as Australia itself, or the distance from home didn't annoy me, so I really don't know.
All you're waiting for is bags to be packed?
Shouldn't that only take a few weeks?
Last edited by ColdCanadian; 03-03-2008 at 07:19 AM..
How often would you experience gusts? Every few Minutes, hours, days, weeks?
Here it is practically impossible to not have a gust, or the sense of air mixing once every 5 minutes.
My parents have been to Ft. Lauderdale in summer, it was 93-95 F there. They told me if I like 97-98 F here I probably wouldn't mind their heat. The heat in south FL is not a big deal to them.
I still don't think the heat in south FL will be a problem for me:
- I like sitting in parked cars listening to the radio, windows rolled up, (no breeze) sitting on the sunny side, cabin temperature at 108 F
- I like dry saunas and steam rooms
- I can breathe air so hot it burns my airways, so no challenge extracting oxygen.
Not everyone can handle Toronto's heat and humidity in a heat wave, but I manage quite well.
Maybe I will come for a summer visit, hopefully during a heat wave.
Oh I'm talking days without a breeze.. DEAD HEAT.. nothing just humidity... Its not the heat its the humidity.. Ft Lauderdale's heat is different than SWFLS. They get the ocean breeze, SWFL where I lived is the furthest south in Fla you can get on the west coast.. Subtropical, we have plants there that grow in jungles.. You might enjoy it I can't say for sure... Come down Mid august where regular temp is about 98-99 with heat index of 115 degrees and humidity at 100% with no breeze... you'll sweat your little tushy off so bad
Oh I'm talking days without a breeze.. DEAD HEAT.. nothing just humidity... Its not the heat its the humidity.. Ft Lauderdale's heat is different than SWFLS. They get the ocean breeze, SWFL where I lived is the furthest south in Fla you can get on the west coast.. Subtropical, we have plants there that grow in jungles.. You might enjoy it I can't say for sure... Come down Mid august where regular temp is about 98-99 with heat index of 115 degrees and humidity at 100% with no breeze... you'll sweat your little tushy off so bad
Southeast Florida might be the most humid place on earth...it is unrelentless these days and it isn't just July and August..you need the A/C cranking nonstop now a good 10 months. The past 4-5 days of low humidity and temps a little cooler have been nice.. Not a climate I will be living in the rest of my life but neither am I going to Toronto.. There are so many better places in between and out west where you actually get 250+ days of great outdoor type weather without extremes of heat and cold or grey gloomy skies.. ColdCanadian can easily come to Florida now with the housing crash and our dollars turning to Peso. Certainly many Canadians and Europeans will be buying in places like PSL or Cape Coral the next couple of years..
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Their insurance and taxes may be high, but in reality they pay little for their utilities compared to their Northern counterparts. As you've discovered, it's not just a few extra clothes and a pair of boots and a coat, there are so many more expenses in the wintery areas. We can't forget the snow shovels and the snow blowers and the ice scrapers for our cars and our roofs, not to mention the high heating costs and keeping our cars in good shape so they'll start in the cold.
