Houston Seasons: Hot, Hotter, Less Hot, and Christmas

Why, oh why, did I have to randomly turn on the Weather Channel today? Why did I have to tune in during their "local weather" segment? Why did I have to glance up from the computer just as they showed the high for Boston today?

65 degrees. (PANG.) Meanwhile, in Houston, the high is 92 degrees, and it is so stinkin' humid.

About this time last year, I was talking about making soup, planning my annual Fall Breakfast, and figuring out when to go apple picking. I was looking forward to apple cider donuts, and I had probably already bought some fresh cider, made my first batch of pumpkin dip, pulled out some sweaters, and even worn my coat here and there. I would have already been motivated to make a scarf and probably would have gone yarn shopping. I would have been on the hunt for a coat, hat, and mittens for Noah.

For some reason, Boston has been on my mind a lot lately. I wonder how our landlady, an elderly lady who lived below us, is doing. I want to talk to my friends. I miss Harvard. I miss getting outside of the city and visiting the more rural areas. I miss our church. I even miss the quality of the sunlight, which is, of course, less brash and garish since Boston is so much further north. I miss the types of flowers and plants that grow there. I miss the architecture. I even miss riding the T now and then. And I miss the seasons.

Growing up, I remember some adults--the ones who did not grow up in Texas--saying that they liked living here, but that they missed seasons. (Or in my dad's case, he just missed a cooler climate.) I thought I understood people missing seasons. I thought it was kind of silly for them to feel that way (since my hometown, of course, was in all ways wonderful), but everyone knows that Houston is hot for most of the year, so I figured that it made sense that they miss snow and stuff like that. I still thought they made a bit too much of it, though.

But now I understand. I think that unless you've lived in a place where there's a distinct spring, summer, autumn, and winter, you probably can't completely wrap your mind around how profoundly the yearly cycle can affect a person. It is not just about liking the cold and disliking the heat. It's about a certain rhythm to the year; it's about experiencing change every few months instead of the monotony of a nearly single-season climate. And it's about taking the opportunities to really enjoy each season as it comes. And, okay, for me, it's also about the heat vs. the cold. Boston's winters are a solid six months, and Houston's summer is at least as long. And while each season is really too long to really enjoy for the entire duration, I would personally prefer a long winter over a long summer. So, yes, part of my love of seasons has to do with the fact that Houston's one main season is hot, but I still think my point stands.

However, I know not everyone would agree with me. Nathan, for example, loves the hot Texas heat. He loves the wide, open sky. He loves the scrubby brush. He loves that you can still find places that are fairly wild here. What can I say? Some like it hot! But, for me, I think it might take a while before I am not pining for a true autumn and even a good dose of winter. Or maybe I always will, a little bit.

I do love my new/old home. I love the fact that we're near grandparents and family, that I get to see all the old friends I left behind six years ago, the great food, dishwashers and central A/C, and so on. It's just that there are some things, like fall, that I knew I'd miss about New England. But it's an adventure to move back and forth, and that, in and of itself, is fun, too.