Seattle Weather "Bubble" State-of-Mind

I moved to Seattle a year ago for a clinical rotation and instantly fell in love with the city; from the weather, landform diversity, attractions, lifestyle, and it didn't hurt that it's the city for caffeineoholics...I fit right in. But if I am being truly honest, the weather was a HUGE factor for me remaining here. The summers and winters are mild...my Seattle winter was completely snowless: in my opinion snow belongs on the mountains, away from the city and the sidewalks that I walk on. And enjoying 60-80 degree summer sits well with me, bring on the endless days of rain.

Therefore, the majority of the 365 days of the year I live in my Seattle weather "bubble," and I just recently had a jolt back to the reality of what "others" endure during the year.....

I recently traveled to eastern Washington to a town called Walla Walla (so nice, they named it twice) for the Balloon Stampede Festival (hot air balloons). For those that do not know, once you go over the mountains from Seattle, the rest of the state of Washington endures a different climate....desert. Even though I knew it was going to be in the high 90 degrees, my mind was protecting me and repressed what 90 degrees felt like.

At 6:30am (the time of the hot air balloon launch) it was already 75 degrees in Walla Walla, which was 15 degrees warmer than the predicted high for Seattle's weather for the day. That day it got up to 103 degrees. There was a time during the day that my feet were burning because the heat was penetrating the soles of my flats and my feet were baking.  Other times I was having hallucinations like a Looney Tunes character of swimming pools and lakes, but there was only hot concrete and dry grass. And yes I still opted to have hot coffee over iced (gross), because coffee is meant to be served hot, and any other way makes it an impostor drink. Therefore, Eastern Washington and I were not becoming best friends, no matter how many awesome hot air balloons they launched.

Driving back to Seattle, it was uplifting to watch the temperature gauge from outside go lower and lower. That Sunday in Seattle it was a rainy and wonderful breezy 60 degrees. I am aware that there is so much of the state of Washington that I need and want to explore, and I shall, when their temperatures are between 55-75 degrees...until then, I shall remain in my Seattle "bubble"and drink my hot coffee and not break out in a sweat.