Visiting Chicagoland just before Labor Day, everyone was taking their last trip to the waterpark, visiting the beach before it closes, and planning for the fall. Someone on the street was talking about Halloween decorations. At the same time in LA, we are bracing ourselves for the hottest time of the year. September to early October. They have never ending winter, we have never ending summer.

I wonder if people who live with more sunny days are sunnier people? I asked “Dr Google” and the consensus is: not to any statistically significant degree. So, don’t move to Cali thinking it will make you happier. Some people who are particularly sensitive to weather moved to California and those who stayed seem pretty happy about it. We don’t meet the unhappy ones on the streets in LA because, well they moved back to places like Chicago. How nice when you have a choice.

If you live in a place where the difference between seasons is mild, do you have a less realistic view of the passing of time? I’m pretty optimistic about aging and plan to stay healthy and active into my 90’s. Is that because we have long summers? Fall cools down and the trees drop their leaves. We get some rain in winter. If I want to have a snow fix, I have to drive to Mammoth.  But I don’t have to go, I choose to go. Then the snow melts and the flowers come out and we go back to the beach. Mother Nature is fooling us into thinking it lasts forever.

Probably the only real difference with all those sunny days is that we have no excuse not to go outside and exercise. Wherever you live, spend some time outside this Labor Day weekend and breathe in summer. It may be gone soon.

If you are not a subscriber to BIZPIE blog, you can subscribe here. If you want to learn more about Vistage, click here.