I’ve had this feeling, since moving to Southern California, of being untethered. It’s an odd feeling to have as I’m no longer a nomad, and it’s all because of the weather.
I grew up in New Hampshire, a place that experiences all four seasons in earnest: 100° F days in summer, and feet upon feet of snow in winter. With these seasons came a sense of the time of year. For the past few months, the start of each was a small surprise. Considering that as I write this, it’s sunny and 61° F where I live now, while it sleets at 34° F where I grew up, this is not so surprising. Moving to Ventura meant giving up seasons, and the concept that pants are appropriate in “winter.”
I’m sure this realization will entertain me months or years from now, after I’ve acclimated to palm-tree Christmases. For now, I’ll enjoy the abundance of sun and shorts-appropriate weather I’m settling into as I wish my family and friends on the East Coast the best this winter.
(To get a sense for how eagerly I’ve taken to California, consider the 40+ entries on my photoblog with the California tag: https://i.ethitter.com/location/united-states/california/.)