I grew up in a state far north of the one I live in currently.
- The neighborhood where my parents raised my siblings and I was mostly rural, although we were only a five minute drive out of the main part of our city and its commercial block.
It was nice to have some peace and quiet away from the busiest parts of the city, but we were still close enough to the train tracks that we heard trains all day and night until the eventually discontinued the train service in that part of the state during my late teen years. I had plans to stay in my home state for college, but I received a better offer from an out-of-state school including scholarship money as well. While I didn’t like the idea of moving 800 miles south of my family and hometown, it was the smart financial and pragmatic decision to make. However, I was struck by how warm it was after just one week of living in the south. I knew I would be in for the rude awakening of a lifetime, especially once summer reared its ugly head just a few months later. I learned firsthand why it’s so incredibly hard to live in the south full time without a strong air conditioner in your house, even if I know a handful of people who do regardless. A strong air conditioner is essential to me for both my waking mental health and my quality of sleep throughout the night. Thankfully my current rental house came equipped with a phenomenal central air conditioner. I get a full night’s sleep and I’m comfortable during the day regardless of the temperatures outside.