Member-only story
It’s Winter. I’m Discontented.
Being the embodiment of a square peg in the round hole, my wife and I have many areas where we disagree. It’s astounding to many, including ourselves, that we’ve made this marriage work for 27 plus years. I’m reminded of this every Winter.
I was born in Maine. However, being the child of a Navy Chief, I didn’t see Maine much. It was a weigh station between duty assignments. When I was a small child, my family lived in San Diego for a few years, Hawaii for three years., and we spent another three in Guantanamo Bay. So, I spent my formative years in warm climates. Cold and snow are not something I enjoy. I always tell people there’s a reason I say I’m FROM Maine. I AM NOT THERE NOW. That’s not a complete slam on Maine; Mid-Coast Maine in Summer is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and I encourage you to go.
My wife was not raised in these circumstances, and she prefers to live in a place where they have seasons. However, I think seasons are overrated. I like to sit in the sun and bake. I’m basically a lizard.
This year, La Nina is in full effect, and I couldn’t be happier. Usually, that means a warmer and drier winter for us here in Virginia Beach. It’s been consistently in the mid-50s and 60s here, and I can live with that. It’s chilly in the morning, but that goes away by mid-day, and I can walk around in a tee-shirt and a hoodie instead of looking like a human cannoli.
I would love to sell this place and move somewhere South. South does not stop at the Florida Keys for me, by the way. I have relatives that live in the Caribbean, and I’d move back there TOMORROW. I dream of being the perpetually sunburned old salt of a beach bum that everyone knows.
On top of that, I have to tell you that the idea of being a ‘snowbird’ seems appealing to me. In my empty-nesting years, buying a small RV and splitting my year between Virginia Beach, South Florida, and Mid-Coast Maine sounds like a beautiful idea in theory. However, I would first need to do two things. First, empty the nest. The second is a bit fuzzier and involves talking my wife into it.
She likes seasons.
I suppose highs in the mid-50s aren’t that bad.
