I’m not from these parts, and I think that’s an obvious fact.
When I moved here I knew there would be a lot of adjustment before I could fit in with the locals, but I never expected that I would have so much work to do with my own psyche.
You see, I’m the sort of person who hates spending money. I try to keep my monthly bills as low as possible because I don’t like to see cash flying out of my bank account. This is one of the reasons that I loved the winter here – it’s relatively warm, so you can get away with using a small portable heating device or even a fireplace to survive the cold season. This was a brand new experience for me, as someone who grew up in the frigid northeast. The problem is… that same utility bill savings does not apply to the warm season here. The summers are brutally hot and humid, and they require advanced air conditioning every single day if you want to be comfortable. Hell, you have to run your AC into the ground if you just want to avoid heat stroke. This was unexpected and horrifying to me, as I watched my energy bill climb day after day with the cooling system operating at its lowest setting. I was sweating through my shorts and the utilities were still higher than I had ever seen them. I started to panic about the daily indoor temperature control. It didn’t help when my AC unit broke down and I had to call for a professional cooling system repair service. Hundreds of dollars flowed out of my hands that day. Now, I’m considering what other options I have for next summer. I’m terrified to face the hot and balmy air all over again, but even more afraid of giving up my new home. I was just starting to be accepted here.