There was absolutely a learning curve that came with moving down south; Just from a cultural standpoint, I had a lot to try and get my head around… I so didn’t want to come off as some abrasive northern transplant, plus, I certainly loved the slower pace and easier vibe down here.
Sure, Summer can be brutal and comes with plenty of a/c; But really, as long as you have unbelievable residential HVAC, you’re pretty golden, then for sure, all the stores and shops I go into have unbelievable commercial HVAC so it’s not like I’m covered in sweat while I’m shopping, but and at work, there is even zone controlled HVAC so I only sweat going back and forth to the parking garage… During the Summer, I stay inside the commercial HVAC of the building and eat my lunch in the cut room.
But during the rest of the year, I love ditching the a/c for the nice little courtyard bench just a couple of blocks down the street. It’s the perfect little spot that’s a perfect spot for a quiet lunch outside. At home, I learned certainly quick that you simply have to pull the curtains every single morning before heading to work. Direct sunlight heating is the number one enemy to heat pump efficiency. I never had to deal with that when I was living up north. Shoot, my buddy and I hardly even had to run the a/c all that often. But down here, the direct sunlight heating will send the energy bills through the roof. So I make sure that all the blinds and shades are pulled and the control unit is set high during the peak heating hours of the morning.