Wacky Weather

I know a number of people who prefer to have all 4 seasons. Most of these people come from climates where you really do get to experience 4 seasons, from hot summers to cold, snowy winters. Places like Germany. And I suppose, in a sense, I get that. It IS nice to see the seasonal changes. I was born in Germany, and remember enjoying playing in the snow as a little kid. After having grown up in southern, evergreen California, I got to experience autumn in eastern Georgia, where I marveled at the beauty of the trees' leaves turning red, orange, and brown. It was kind of neat to see colors besides green (or bare) for a change. And when I moved to southern Germany shortly thereafter, the first thing I had to learn how to do was drive in the snow.  Then there were the weather extremes: from year-round heat and humidity in Indonesia to below-freezing temps in Minneapolis, Minnesota in December. Plenty of new experiences all around!

There were plenty of things I didn't like about LA weather, either. Like how hot it could get in the summer (I am, mind you, grateful that since we're in a desert area, it's at least a DRY heat. I can't imagine how much worse it would be with humidity). And the Santa Anas that blow through every fall? I absolutely abhor those winds. I would rather take rain and/or snow over wind any day. They say that Santa Anas cause depression, and it doesn't surprise me. I hate the dry, staticky, dusty feeling those winds leave me. Let's not forget all those wildfires that result, as well!

Santa Barbara is much better in that regard, at least. We do get our share of Santa Anas, but at nowhere near the intensity and frequency as in LA. And the weather itself is more even keel. Very mild and little variation in temperature throughout the year. A "hot" summer day would be 80 degrees, and those are rare. Winter in the 60's. Mostly sunny all the time. Occasional rain (some years not nearly enough), and certainly no snow or ice.

Seasonal changes are neat, and keep the years interesting. I actually like the rain and enjoy listening to the pitter-patter while I'm cozy indoors. Snow (without snowstorms, of course) can be fun, though it can be a chore, the way it dirties everything. If I had to live anywhere else, I wouldn't mind living in Germany, where you get four seasons without the extremes of super-hot/humid summers and icy, well-below-freezing temps in winter (I think the coldest I ever experienced was just a few degrees below zero... Celsius!)

But I think at this point I'm pretty happy that we live in a mild, Mediterranean climate. It's not something I would easily trade in, and I consider us very fortunate that we're able to hold down jobs and live in one of the few true paradises in the world.

How about you? What's your ideal climate/place to live?