In the world we live in, the year is broken into 4 quadrants of weather patterns. Named seasons, there is winter, spring, summer, and fall. Depending on where you are in the world, these seasons can come at all different times. Depending on where you are in the world, these seasons could be starkly different or pretty similar. In the USA, we start and end the year in winter (which now that I am thinking about it is kind of wack, imagine christmas and NYE in the summer? That would be pretty tight.).Out of winter it feels like we crawl into spring, sprint through summer, breeze through fall, and just like that it is winter again. Having grown up on the east coast and lived on the west coast for a little while now, I have experienced both types of seasonal years. While starkly different, I have my likings and dislikings to both. Read below, as I break the two coasts into a single con and single pro for the year:
EAST
Like: Layers and a Functional Wardrobe.
I love outerwear. If you opened up my current closet in California, you would first scratch your head at the sheer number of T-shirts I own. But once you looked past that, you would realize how many heavy jackets and thick coats that line the right side. In California, realistically, there are about 3 months in which you might need a heavy jacket. Most of the time this is only necessary at night, in which I am either firmly planted on my couch or going out for the night and do not want to carry around a bulky jacket or sweat bullets all night. So I can wear these nice pieces to work. But I am guilty of just throwing on a sweatshirt and heading out the door in comfort. To make matters worse, I own a ton of rainwear that gets little action unless we stumble upon a wet week. While I can wear them when it is dry, it just defeats the tech I so proudly love to sport. I also love to layer, which almost never happens since it rarely drops below 50. Being home lets me go from boardies and a T-shirt to pants and a long sleeve to bundled up for winter. And back around the spectrum again.
Dislike: The Ice-cold Wind Vortex
One thing in which I will NEVER miss from my hometown of NJ is something that is so unbelievably brutal that I truly do nothing when it comes around. When we reach the three months of January, February, and March, the weather dips to an extreme low. Both April and December can be quite cold, although more often than not it is around the 50-60s and sunny, occasionally dipping to the 40s and hopefully not the 30s. But you really never know. But for those three months, there are often week long stints of sub 30 degree weather with over 20 MPH winds. When it is cold, sometimes I can tough it out and try and do something outside. But when it is cold AND windy, it is just terrible. The wind chill drops the weather about 10 degrees, and also can really chap your lips and give you the runniest of noses. The only time in which this is not the worst thing ever is if the wind is offshore and there is waves, but even then I am not enthused to tug on 5 millimeters of rubber and bob up and down in the icebath.
WEST
Like: The Endless Summer
California truly can experience an endless summer. Although south swells, warm water, and summer crowds leave with the seasonal change, the warm weather tends to stay. Sure, every once in a while the temperature takes a dip and the winter and you can’t wear flip flops or not wear a jacket. But for the most part, if the sun is up, you can get away with being pretty warm with minimal clothing on. Although I like seasonal variety and being able to tap into a full wardrobe, I think I like being warm most of the time and never really having to shiver from the weather alone. In the Summer it’s hot. In the Fall it’s hot. In the Winter it can be hot. And in the Spring it’s hot. I truly loved the warm weather when I was at university, as pool parties were a plenty. I truly despised the warm weather when I broke a sweat walking to class or just breathing inside our house since AC costed an arm and a leg. But in the end, 365 warmth triumphs all faults and favoritism.
Dislike: The Occasional Wet Season
I have always disliked rain. I have come to not dislike it as much, as sometimes a day off just vegging out on the couch is necessary. But growing up as a hyper teen, I disliked it strongly. An avid skateboarder and BMXer, these were my vessels to roam the streets. When it was raining and I didn’t have a license, this meant I was house locked. I would ruin my skateboard in the rain and potentially rust my bike in the rain. The one thing I could do is surf, and always enjoy the tranquil conditions rain would bring. The waves are flat most of the time at home, so sparingly would I score this session. In California, rain brings dirty water. Dirty water means no surf. And no surfing means I get grumpy. Sure, I tempt fate more than most and take on the bacterial water every now and then. But even I know when it has rained a bunch and it’s a no go. I also just get bored not being able to go outside. And when it never rains even 3 days of rain feels long.
James Giordano 