"Coravillas Oregon is the least hazardous place in the USA in which to live and Plano-Dallas Metro is the most hazardous ~ twisters, tornadoes, hurricanes, hail, wind, drought and floods. Texas takes 6 of the top 10 most hazardous metro areas and abounds over other states in natural disasters by every measure other than earthquakes" (B. Sperling, author of Best/Worst Places rankings)
This is why I would love to move the the Pacific Northwest .... I don't particularly like extremes in anything, so the Pacific NW seems so serene, so calm, so moderate, so scenic, so enjoyably outdoorsy to me. I have always said it, have always dreamed it and this article just serves to confirm all my reasons for wanting to do so.
I moved to North Dallas almost 15 years ago. Honestly, I didn't want to come here, I was very happy exactly where I was in Raleigh, North Carolina ..... and by comparison, have found nothing attractive about living on the plains after living in the eastern USA.
North Carolina was such an incredibly beautiful place to live. I loved it from the moment my feet set foot in the state. It has trees, big tress, lots and lots of big trees and rolling hills and mountains. It has real seasons and moderation in temperatures and weather and people. It has the ocean, and the mountains, beautiful and plentiful lakes and is easily car accessible to many destinations of interest.
Dallas, by contrast is harsh in topography, harsh in weather extremes, there are really only two seasons ~ hot and hotter. Have I mentioned I despise extreme heat, especially long extended periods of heat? Well, Texas has heat.... lots and lots of heat, in fact it never cools off even at night. The hot air is suffocating and sucks the breath right out of you. Now this is not Houston mind you where the humidity is as thick as molasses, but the combination of heat and humidity is certainly uncomfortable, even in Dallas.
The sun is relentless and cloudy days, while rare, are such a sweet reprieve for me. Sometime in May the blinds get closed and stay closed, the A/C is cranked up high and for the most part, indoors becomes the daily venue of choice. It's akin to living in a cave for 7 or 8 months of the year. I've grown accustomed to it, but it is not how I enjoy spending all my time.
I grew up a 'northern girl' and love cooler temperatures. All this heat just saps my energy and makes me a wee bit grumpy. Even a decision to go out in the car is often reconsidered simply because getting inside my car is so hot and uncomfortable. Often the car doesn't cool down until I'm at where I'm going.
I like gardening, but it is neither easy or enjoyable under such extreme conditions. I love walking, but for most of the year, I do it under cover of darkness, early, early in the mornings while the temperature is still in the mid 80's. It's a rare day when I can actually sit outside and enjoy my patio.
Then there's the storms. There are never days of just gentle drizzling rain. When it rains, its torrential and damaging and scary, often accompanied by extremely high winds and flooding and tornados. We are in the height of tornado season. Last night I spent an hour or so in the safety (that's a relative term) of the bathroom, tornado sirens wailing, hail pounding the house, torrential rain blowing sideways, streets and yards flooding, trees coming down. This is scary stuff. Relatively little damage for us last night, but whenever I see the sky turning that funky yellow/green my stomach begins to churn and I feel the need to pace. Doesn't do anything of course, but moving around seems better than just sitting still.
I actually used to enjoy a good thunderstorm, but since moving to Texas, I just become anxious when they're in the forecast . We've lost trees, had to replace a roof, had hail damaged cars and a flooded yard more times than I care to remember. They are just so violent and so volatile.
Then there's the drought .... those long periods when there's not a cloud in the sky to squeeze even a drip of water from. The soil begins to crack deeply, plants shrivel up, grass dies and foundations begin to shift and if your one of the very unlucky homeowners, begins to crack .... very costly repair. Watering is not optional so every day we water, water and water just to enable things survive and save our foundations.
I've never lived anywhere where it is always so incredibly windy.... my hair is always looking like I've spent the entire day at the beach. I should count my blessings though because it's way worse in West Texas and they are always dealing with sandstorms.
Now, by October, the weather is more reasonable and my favorite day of the year is that morning when I step outside and for the first time in months and months, there is a crispness in the air that is palpable. I love that time of year but it can get cold here..... very, very cold and almost as unpredictable as the summer.
Most winters are relatively mild, but the last two years have been brutal. Unfortunately, homes are not built to withstand cold the way they are in the northern parts... they are drafty and circulation is at best, poor..... vaulted 10-12 foot ceilings suck all the hot air up. It is a challenging and expensive to keep things comfortable .... extra sweater, socks and blankets are often called for.
Dallas doesn't get much snow, but when we do it's extreme ~ often upwards of 2 feet or more in one fall, and of course we don't have the snow removal equipment. Dallas gets at least one or two ice storms a year. Generally the temperature is mild enough that ice rarely sticks around more than a day or so, but last winter we had snow, and ice and an extended period of sub-zero temperatures that prevented anything from melting and kept businesses closed and schools in the area shut down for 7 consecutive days! Lawns, unfortunately if you have St. Augustine, don't fare well either with extended periods of cold, snow and ice. We lost some 2 winters ago and the rest this past winter. Another costly proposition to replace it.
This part of the country is not home, it doesn't feel like home and while some people love living here, for a variety of reasons, I find none of them appealing enough to balance out all the reasons I don't like living here
I've lived in some 14 cities across North America and this area is by far, my least favorite area. I realize there are many other factors that contribute to the overall positive/negative experience of living somewhere and taking all that into consideration, I would still have to come to the same conclusion.
From the very first moment I landed here and put my feet on the ground, I knew this place would never feel quite right ... never truly feel like home. I have adjusted, I have adapted, I have resigned myself to life as it now exists, I have paid my dues, put in my time and gave it a fair shot but would jump at the chance to move to Coravillas, Oregon ~ only in my dreams though ~ just not going to happen anytime soon.
In the meantime, I remind myself how much I'd miss the great Tex-Mex food!
Yielding all I know about me to all I know about Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment