Weather is a relative thing

If you've spent time in Southern California, you know that there are really only a couple of seasons. Temperatures usually range from warm to cool (versus blazing hot and freezing cold). This past summer, we had a longer stretch of hot in August and September. And really cold to us is when the caytime temperature dips into the 50's in the winter months.

Here in Abu Dhabi, there is blazing hot and warm.  I've been told by so many people (including Emiratis that grew up here!) that summer is beyond belief. I understand that at one point last August it hit about 130 degrees. Add in the heat index (humidity because of the Gulf), and you're talking 150 degrees.  It is oppressive, by all descriptions.

Funny, for many years I swore (swore!) that I'd never move back to the heat and the desert. I grew up in Arizona, and I thought THAT was hot. So what do I do? Say yes to 15 months in Abu Dhabi. I am sure that come July and August I will be writing about the joys of air conditioning.  So when you have that extreme, and the temps get into the 60's at night (as they are now) with a breeze off the water, you start to see people in sweaters and jackets. Me, I'm sitting on the beach under an umbrella with cropped pants and a short sleeved shirt.

So imagine how bundled up I was in Washington D.C., when the weather was ranging from 40's and low 50's last week.  Was a fun change to me. Helped that it stayed sunny and we didn't have to deal with getting wet and soggy.

I had Tim bring me sweaters, gloves and my winter hat. From my sister Annie I borrowed scarves and fleece-lined jackets.  Unless I end up travelling to some place cold in Europe, there is just no need for me to be hauling heavy cold-weather clothing  8437 miles.

But after my trip home to California the last two weeks of December, I am bringing some work clothes that I thought would be too warm to wear here. Because my brother wasn't kidding when he talked about how cold some of the air conditioning can be.  And darned if it doesn't feel like there's a nip in the air here in the mornings and evenings.

It's all relative.

Come December 14th when I'm home for a bit, I'll probably be bundled up, and neighbors will wonder why I think it's so cold!  Natives will roll their eyes and think "tourist".