Sunday, June 21, 2015

Early birds

Good morning, it's Sunday and I've just finished my workout at Paseo Park, I've had to rise early, 4:30am to be exact, and this is due to the extreme heat we are experiencing here in Arizona, yes it's hot, and once 9:00am arrives it's close to 98 degrees already, and after that the excessive heat warning kicks in around 10:00am. There are very few people up before sunrise, joggers, horseback riders, bicyclists, dog walkers, and seniors taking in the breakfast specials, but these have got to be the happiest people I encounter, and because of the extreme heat most of the population here in Phoenix are very unfriendly, impatient, and irritable, I've witnessed it everyday since the beginning of June while driving and shopping in the city and it's hard not to be drawn into the misery. Extreme heat can have some major psychological effects on the mind and body and it's very challenging to maintain a positive attitude when everyone else around you is blowing a gasket or having a mental meltdown, another issue is confinement, with these extreme temperatures you cannot even go outside, to do so is a risk to your health, especially with the excessive heat and dangerous ozone levels. When I was working in construction some years back I would have to be up at 3:00am in the summertime here in Arizona, and knock off the work day at 1:00pm in the afternoon, back then I was in my 30's and I'd developed a tolerance to the heat. I've hung up my tool belt over four years now, and now that I'm over 50, it's becoming very apparent that I'll need to move to a more cooler climate. Since 2013 I've been spending my last two summers in Southern California to escape the Arizona heat, but I chose not to go there this summer due to it's over population and I'm paying the price, and yet through all of this unwanted contrast I'm getting more clarity on where I really want to be. We have the most amazing winters here in Arizona, it's an outdoor paradise with an abundance of sunshine, hiking, biking, and all the fun events such as Oktoberfest, the Fiesta Bowl and parade, and the holiday season when the snowbirds arrive, the whole state once again transforms and it's inhabitants come out to play when the heat is gone. I'll miss it here I admit, I've made Arizona my home off and on since 1997, but because I've put change in motion, I'll be leaving it behind for good, this will be a bittersweet departure at best, but it seems there is a trend towards longer summers and shorter winters in Arizona, and the same rings true for Southern California, as well as the whole Southwestern United States. I've always been a colder climate kind of person, I love being outdoors and I was raised that way, so it's only natural that I'd want to return to the climate I grew up in, where there are actually four seasons instead of two. I've found people are more happier in stable climates, this is even more evident for those living near the ocean, I believe environment plays a vital role in our overall attitude and well being, and living with excessive heat and maintaining a well being are very challenging, as the only choices are confinement, or moving/escaping to a more comfortable and stable climate. Fortunately I've chosen the latter, and I'm hoping that Law of attraction plays a major role in my decision to re-locate to an environment of my choosing and the sooner the better, in the meantime I'm going to need to get up p-r-e-t-t-y early to beat the heat, as early as the birds themselves, stay cool!

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