Why I Left Texas? (Houston, West: scorpions, college, camp)

[worldlyman]

My wife and I left Houston for San Diego from 2002 to 2006 for work.

We're back in Houston and are satisfied here. Quality of life is sooo much better in H-town.

San Diego's weather was "perfect." But put that in context. When you move a few miles inland, it gets HOT indoors. No real way to keep cool indoors unless you stop moving or wait for night to go to sleep. In Houston, indoors are easily cooled. It can get chilly enough in San Diego during winter at times, enough that unless you have a portable heater, it's easy to catch a cold.

And day after day of San Diego sunshine did have its limits with me. Emotional sterility or blandness. I'm a Gulf Coast kid. Thunderstorms had a way of jolting me emotionally in a GOOD way. Refreshing. They are a nice payback for me for the humidity (which helps keep my skin stay moist and young anyway).

And when Houston's late October cool thrusts finally arrive...there is an inner joy to my days, BETTER WEATHER than SoCal for that time. It's a passage of time, an anticipation of sorts, to bid farewell to the current year or prepare for the next one. And I so don't have to deal with snow! The mix of crisp blue winter days for park side enjoyment with some gray winter ones for cafe reflection in Houston...I love it!

I never got that special feeling in San Diego. People out there brag about no rain...then look at the price they pay! Severe shortage of water...catastrophic firestorms...oh, well. I will NEVER forget the Firestorm of 2003. And the firestorms get worse every year out there.

"Perfect" San Diego days, one after another just left me emotionally bland, month after month. Just like day after day of no sunshine in Seattle can make one near suicidal and depressed. (Isn't Seattle a leading metro of suicide?) I got depressed on rare days when it TRIED to rain in San Diego...but just couldn't muster the good stuff!

Our bodies and brains are electric, thus our emotions are electric. Weather is electric. Houston has that electricity that's missing in San Diego. But some people like being bland. I don't. I generally don't mind Houston's summers. Some days I can do without...but remember the payback we get later in the year too! No so-called "perfect" weather in SoCal can replace that for me.

[NOTAM]

enjoyed your post!

Originally Posted by worldlyman

My wife and I left Houston for San Diego from 2002 to 2006 for work.

We're back in Houston and are satisfied here. Quality of life is sooo much better in H-town.

San Diego's weather was "perfect." But put that in context. When you move a few miles inland, it gets HOT indoors. No real way to keep cool indoors unless you stop moving or wait for night to go to sleep. In Houston, indoors are easily cooled. It can get chilly enough in San Diego during winter at times, enough that unless you have a portable heater, it's easy to catch a cold.

And day after day of San Diego sunshine did have its limits with me. Emotional sterility or blandness. I'm a Gulf Coast kid. Thunderstorms had a way of jolting me emotionally in a GOOD way. Refreshing. They are a nice payback for me for the humidity (which helps keep my skin stay moist and young anyway).

And when Houston's late October cool thrusts finally arrive...there is an inner joy to my days, BETTER WEATHER than SoCal for that time. It's a passage of time, an anticipation of sorts, to bid farewell to the current year or prepare for the next one. And I so don't have to deal with snow! The mix of crisp blue winter days for park side enjoyment with some gray winter ones for cafe reflection in Houston...I love it!

I never got that special feeling in San Diego. People out there brag about no rain...then look at the price they pay! Severe shortage of water...catastrophic firestorms...oh, well. I will NEVER forget the Firestorm of 2003. And the firestorms get worse every year out there.

"Perfect" San Diego days, one after another just left me emotionally bland, month after month. Just like day after day of no sunshine in Seattle can make one near suicidal and depressed. (Isn't Seattle a leading metro of suicide?) I got depressed on rare days when it TRIED to rain in San Diego...but just couldn't muster the good stuff!

Our bodies and brains are electric, thus our emotions are electric. Weather is electric. Houston has that electricity that's missing in San Diego. But some people like being bland. I don't. I generally don't mind Houston's summers. Some days I can do without...but remember the payback we get later in the year too! No so-called "perfect" weather in SoCal can replace that for me.

[Canine*Castle]

One doesn't catch a cold from being cold. You can only catch a cold from being exposed to the cold virus. People catch more in winter because they are indoors more ~ ~ more people, less air circulation, more stuffy environment leads to easier transmission of the cold virus.

Humidity isn't the only thing that keeps skin younger looking. Drink plenty of water and that will pretty much do the trick and one doesn't have to suffer the effects of being uncomfortable.

I agree that I wouldn't want to live in California again because I kind of like all the rain we get in central Texas even if it comes in a feast or famine form. Thunderstorms though are not to my liking.

Winters in Texas......absolutely wonderful. I love them.

Many inlands parts of CA do not need A/C. I lived there for 30 years without it except for one house which had a window unit in one of the bedrooms. It cools of there and I can only remember a few nights in all those years when it was a little warm and difficult to sleep, but there's no comparison as to what life would be like should one not have A/C in my part of Texas. It also doesn't stay warm / hot in the part of southern CA I lived in (San Fernando Valley) for months on end. Still, I do like more rain than California offers.

As far as states go, California ranks #1 in suicides followed closely by Texas and then Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York. For the city, it looks like Las Vegas has the highest suicide rate. That I can definitely see.

I must say the post about Houston is very nice, but it definitely is not some place I'd like to live. I don't think it gets cool enough there......ever......and the humidity is way too high. Comparing the two, I'll take central Texas any day over that area.

[seattlerain]

Originally Posted by worldlyman

"Perfect" San Diego days, one after another just left me emotionally bland, month after month. Just like day after day of no sunshine in Seattle can make one near suicidal and depressed. (Isn't Seattle a leading metro of suicide?) I got depressed on rare days when it TRIED to rain in San Diego...but just couldn't muster the good stuff!

Our bodies and brains are electric, thus our emotions are electric. Weather is electric. Houston has that electricity that's missing in San Diego. But some people like being bland. I don't. I generally don't mind Houston's summers. Some days I can do without...but remember the payback we get later in the year too! No so-called "perfect" weather in SoCal can replace that for me.

No, not true, Seattle's is not even in the top ten cities for suicide.

1. Las Vegas
2. Colorado Springs, CO
3. Tucson, AZ
4. Sacramento, CA
5. Albuquerque, NM
6. Mesa, AZ
7. Miami
8. Denver
9. Jacksonville, FL
10. Pittsburgh

[j96g]

Too make it short, the reason i want to leave is the hot weather and i want to move where there is snow and mountains...COLORADO!

[1texas1]

Originally Posted by Alatex

I'm curious, what parts of Alabama and Texas ?

I've struggling with the choice of staying in Tuscaloosa, AL (where I have very deep roots, and which also happens to be one of my favorite parts of the state) or moving to San Marcos, TX (brother is there, and also happens to be about my favorite part of Texas).

I am in the Gulf Shores area. I was born and raised here and the beach is very nice. Texas...I would move to Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth or Corpus Christi...I have friends there.....I would so move to Texas in a heartbeat.....

[Canine*Castle]

Seattle gets 152 sunny days a year. That's not all that bad when one considers some places have hot, hot weather for five months on end or more. That's about 150 days of heat. I think Seattle's climate sounds more to my liking but since I've never lived there, I can only guess.

S.A.D. is no different than regular depression except that it goes away; regular depression does not and some get it, some don't. S.A.D. can also occur in the summer although it's more common in the winter. I think I have it right now because I'm really sick of this hot weather. I can take a few months of it and then I'm ready to just scream.

[Mike78613]

Look at all the old residents and new residents all over Texas. After reading all 151 posts, I feel like this is a family Texas reunion

Everyone here loves Texas, that's why you posted

[I LOVE NORTH CAROLINA]

[quote=Mike78613;4920600

Everyone here loves Texas, that's why you posted [/QUOTE]

Uh, not exactly

[case44]

Originally Posted by worldlyman

My wife and I left Houston for San Diego from 2002 to 2006 for work.

We're back in Houston and are satisfied here. Quality of life is sooo much better in H-town.

San Diego's weather was "perfect." But put that in context. When you move a few miles inland, it gets HOT indoors. No real way to keep cool indoors unless you stop moving or wait for night to go to sleep. In Houston, indoors are easily cooled. It can get chilly enough in San Diego during winter at times, enough that unless you have a portable heater, it's easy to catch a cold.

And day after day of San Diego sunshine did have its limits with me. Emotional sterility or blandness. I'm a Gulf Coast kid. Thunderstorms had a way of jolting me emotionally in a GOOD way. Refreshing. They are a nice payback for me for the humidity (which helps keep my skin stay moist and young anyway).

And when Houston's late October cool thrusts finally arrive...there is an inner joy to my days, BETTER WEATHER than SoCal for that time. It's a passage of time, an anticipation of sorts, to bid farewell to the current year or prepare for the next one. And I so don't have to deal with snow! The mix of crisp blue winter days for park side enjoyment with some gray winter ones for cafe reflection in Houston...I love it!

I never got that special feeling in San Diego. People out there brag about no rain...then look at the price they pay! Severe shortage of water...catastrophic firestorms...oh, well. I will NEVER forget the Firestorm of 2003. And the firestorms get worse every year out there.

"Perfect" San Diego days, one after another just left me emotionally bland, month after month. Just like day after day of no sunshine in Seattle can make one near suicidal and depressed. (Isn't Seattle a leading metro of suicide?) I got depressed on rare days when it TRIED to rain in San Diego...but just couldn't muster the good stuff!

Our bodies and brains are electric, thus our emotions are electric. Weather is electric. Houston has that electricity that's missing in San Diego. But some people like being bland. I don't. I generally don't mind Houston's summers. Some days I can do without...but remember the payback we get later in the year too! No so-called "perfect" weather in SoCal can replace that for me.

Great post. That's why Texas is what it is.