Every time I described Spokane to my Utah friends I'd say "Spokane weather is just like Utah only a little less hot in the summer and a little less cold in the winter," and I still think that that is true. The summers in Utah are definitely hot, but they are so much fun. There is such a window of time that you can still get out and do. You wake up, run your errands or hike or run or whatever, come home in the afternoon and wait for the heat to pass, and then at night MOST of the time, you can enjoy the evening just fine without too much sweat or discomfort. Coming from Spokane, I remember thinking I would just MELT in a Utah summer. A whole 3 months of nearly 100!! Are you insane! That is like a death march. But such as life would have it, I learned, adjusted, and figured it out making my 7 year (on and off) stint in Utah some of the best years in my life. Four seasons, cool evenings, brisk fall air, beautiful snow fall, hot summers that will dry up water, and a spring that can knock your socks off. Utah is awesome.
We were watching a video of when we lived in Holladay. In the video, I was complaining to Ethan that it was 103 and we were totally beside ourselves. We had never seen anything so hot let a lone lived in anything so hot! "Its a 103 and we just have to find refuge," were my exact words actually. So Utah is hot, but also perfect. Bases covered hopefully.
Bring on Arizona!! I have so many thoughts about Arizona weather that I just don't know what to say. I once visited AZ while living in UT and I got so sick of people in AZ telling me how hot it was. "why would you visit AZ in the summer?" " Bet its your first time in hot weather huh?" and so on. I remember being so offended because Utah is hot. Its not like I was visiting for the Arctic! Stop being the snobby hot police AZ. Other people can be hot too!!
And then I moved there and I think now I can say that I FINALLY understand what they are talking about. Its not that Arizona is the only hot place in the world. That's not what they mean. Its just such a different kind of hot. For starters there are two season in Arizona, nice and hot. They have nothing else to talk about. There are no natural disasters, no snow storms, and no leaves changing colors (our tree literally stayed green all year!) . My goodness!! They hardly even get rain!!
Moving there I thought the winters would be dreamy. They are, but they are not perfect like I was told. December and January were disappointingly cold. They would get down to like 40 during the day and even cooler at night which to me is cold enough to stop being enjoyable (My sister from South and North Dakota will now be giving her input about living in a cold place and will quickly tell me that 40 IS in fact enjoyable) As I say this, I also do have clear memories of going to a Christmas carol party in the middle of December and eating cookies at night at a park and no one had a coat so...
Starting around the end of January, after about 8 weeks of pretty chilly weather, it starts to slowly reach that "perfect" level I was told about. Around February is hits the 70s and works is way back up towards the 100s. By June we are still having fairly enjoyable weather like 85-90, but by end of June its game over.
I'm rambling at this point I just want to get this all down.
We moved to AZ on June 2nd. It was 95 degrees. We went to dinner with Aunt Kay and when we stepped outside we said, "man its hot, " and she quickly said, "no its not." I was so annoyed, but now I get it. After a solid summer in Arizona, I can confidently say 95 is "hot" but it is not HOT!! People there get so used to the summer hovering at 105 that when it drops to the 90s they find outside activities to do. "Did you see the weather! We should go to the park or something." They don't say its going to be cold, because its not cold, but they find something to do outside. We have even found ourselves saying "its not going to be hot today," or "it was only 103" when the temperature stays around 100 degrees and the scary things is that we mean it!
So why does Arizona feel as though they can talk about their heat more than other places? Why do they feel like other places simply are not hot? I have a few thoughts
1. The sun is a different sun down there. It is SO intense and SO hot that it just burns to touch your skin. Even when is cooler, the sun just is brutal. I don't know how to explain it and unless you feel it, I can't but the sun is BRUTAL! It is so so SO intense.
2. 120 is something else. It is a take your breathe away, knock you backwards, don't touch me, sweat by existing type of heat. It is nuts. (Although, it can't fry an egg on the sidewalk ps)
3. Not only does the temperature get hot, but when it gets hot (And by hot I mean 110+) there is this wind that won't quit. Its like standing in front of your oven right when you open it over and over and over again. You can't escape.
4. Its doesn't stop being hot. We will go to bed at 10 and it will still be in the 100's. At 6:30 when we wake up, its already 85-90. I took Kels to swim at 9 and it was 102. It never leaves you alone! EVER! Even the rain is hot (the three times it does rain)
5. "So go swimming" people tell us. Yes true, but have you ever stepped into a puddle of water that has been sitting in the sun for a few hours? Not cool any more right? Right. The pools here can only get so much sun for so long before they quit being cold. By July, the pools are like bath water. Fine but not refreshing. Now don't get me wrong: I'd rather be wet and hot than dry and hot and by October the pools are refreshing again, but there is that two month period of just "ugh!"
6 Last thought. "summer" last from about May-Oct and even November is hot but the nights cool down. It is a solid 7 months of 95-120 degree weather with weeks of not dropping below that. WEEKS! of 105-115. People just except this as acceptable! It crazy!!
So why am I writing my life story of weather? Well, because Madison is napping and Kelsey is at a movie and I wanted, but mostly because I wanted to document that its 98 in Utah (where I am) and I am finding the weather super nice! A few years ago I would have been hiding inside, but now I am loving it. No I'm not in the sun and yes, I have a small line of sweat on the back of my knee, but my hair is down and I'm fine. I open the door to come outside, bracing my self for the inferno that awaits, and instead find myself saying "oh! Its really nice out here!!" There is a soft breeze that actually helps to cool you down, and shade that actually means "cooler under here!!" I can let the girls play outside without worrying about heat stroke and I haven't used sunscreen once (mostly because its too cold to swim. Our pastiness would fry even in or rather, especially in Utah!!)
I used to think, 85 was hot, then I thought 95 was hot, now I think 110 is hot. Its amazing what our bodies truly get used to and learn to handle. You never get used to 110+ but you get used to it being that hot all the time so all of a sudden 95 seems "nice" Super weird but so cool! I am loving this concept of adaptation. Man I am a nerd! I never would have thought that this would be my reality. When did I become this lizard! I keep waiting for the hot days to come, but they just don't and for that I love you Utah!
So I guess I not only have reached Phoenician blood status but I think I have finally reached the snobby heat police that all Arizonians can claim.
So I guess I not only have reached Phoenician blood status but I think I have finally reached the snobby heat police that all Arizonians can claim.
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