As a born and raised person from the Pacific Northwest, I have come to loathe the recent climate change-induced heat that now comes with summer. Up until about 3 years ago, Seattle summers never got too hot. The top heats would hit the low 90’s. Now a scary average of 80 degrees seems to be making its way as we get closer and closer to summer.
Those of you who have grown up in much warmer climates probably think that my little tolerance to heat is a joke, but let me point out one important thing: Air conditioned spaces are not that common in Seattle. We never had a reason for air conditioners! Within the past couple of summers, more and more department stores and warehouses have run out stock of air conditioners because people here are finally caving in a buying them so they don’t melt from the heat. So while you over in, say Texas, are living it up in your air conditioned houses, over here on the North West coast we are trying our best to cope with the heat. Now with that said here are some of my personal reasons why I especially hate the heat:
1. I can’t be productive:
Everyone has experienced this at some point. When it’s hot out, all you want to do is nap or just not be productive because if you move too much, sooner or later your clothes will be soaked through with sweat. Your energy is zapped and levels of laziness reach an annual high.
2. I can’t have hot drinks:
Every morning, I have a cup of tea. It’s my caffeine of choice and it is also just the experience of sitting and enjoying my tea that helps me get ready for the day. Even though the mornings are usually the coolest, I usually end up breaking some sort of a sweat when drinking my hot morning cuppa. Iced tea just isn’t the same.
3. The struggle to put any sort of makeup on is unreal:
I love makeup and I love creating elaborate looks in my spare time, but sometimes it’s just so damn warm, that I can’t even slap on the tiniest of lipstick without blotting my face from sweat every minute. It’s annoying when you are working on your face and then 10 minutes later, you find that you have already sweat off part of your mug.
4. Mosquitos:
With the heat, come mosquitos. I don’t know how people in the South do it, they are such awful creatures. Now at this point in my life I have a few tricks up my sleeve that lessen my chances of itching my skin off and getting bitten, but they are still really annoying when all you want to do is have a nice night-time campfire with your friends, but sometimes those bastards don’t make it worth it for me.
I may be a wuss in your eyes when it comes to the heat, but if you ever come to the great Pacific Northwest during the fall and winter, I invite you to come be one with the rain and all of its wet glory.
