When we had unusually sunny, warm weather here in east central Iowa, I missed the snow, but certainly enjoyed the sunshine. It reminded me of how winters are in the Southwest - sunny! In Alamogordo, it's not uncommon to have somewhere around 300 sunny days per year. That's like 10 months' worth of sunshine per year!
So in moving back to the Midwest in 2008 (having lived for a number of years in the Chicagoland area, as well as having gone to school for 4 years in NW Indiana), I quickly remembered how gloomy it gets (and stays!) when it's overcast. And how long it seems to be completely overcast - days and days (weeks on end, seemingly) without a break in the clouds - without the smallest hint of the sun.
Now the Midwest has it's good points. I'm not bashing the Midwest.
It's just that this time of year, I start getting homesick for "home" - for the Southwest. My grandparents were from the Southwest. My mom and uncles were born and raised in the Southwest. I've lived in the Southwest for part of my life. And while I loved many things about living in the Chicago area (and have grown fond of a number of things about Iowa), I think there must be a little part of me that belongs in the Southwest (or belongs to the Southwest).
And the overcast days without promise of sunshine . . . well, they just makes me miss the Southwest - the sunshine, the "perfume" the dry desert air gives off after a rainstorm (by the way, it never stays cloudy for long), as well as the familiar, distinct scents of creosote and piñon trees, the ease of finding good, local food (the kinds I always crave - Mexican, Tex-Mex, Southwestern). Well, the overcast gloom and its resulting saudade for the Southwest make me wonder if I should invest in one of those S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder) lights!
In the meantime, I'll just look through old photos for a temporary New Mexico fix!
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| 31 December 2006 - the view from our backyard in Alamogordo, NM. |
9 comments:
THis time of year is definitely hard!
I'm sorry you struggle this time of year. *hugs*
An age-old issue for us prairie people! Spring is coming!! :)
It is tough with these seasons..as I freeze! We do get homesick
I love winter and snow. I just need my daily dose of sunshine, too. Thankfully, the sun's finally starting (trying) to peek out of the clouds. Maybe it will succeed today.
my sis in Wisconsin goes thru the same thing - i always tell her to buy one of those light boxes and park herself next to it for a while! she loves to sit in the sun and when it disappears for weeks, she gets depressed. :)
I struggled with this tremendously living in Illinois. I remember one year during the months of March and April it seemed as though the sun hadn't shown itself for almost 30 days. I had HAD IT! That's the year I said, "I can't take it anymore, we have to move to AZ". Needless to say, it wasn't until a year and about 8 months later we moved.
I can't believe that view!!!! I don't think wild horses could drag me away from that one!!!
I hate humidity too! I like cold weather, but with sun
xoxo
SC
I hope you get to live there again someday. I know I would love to go back again. Even just a long vacation.
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