Happiness is a Warm Run

So you want to live in the desert? Many people do, Phoenix and Las Vegas are two of the fastest growing communities in a nation of fast-growing communities, an increasingly urban landscape that is projected to become even more so by the year 2050. The Sun Belt is where it’s at in terms of population, if you look at the top 10 American cities by population, you will find seven of them in the warm weather states of California, Arizona, and Texas. This doesn’t even take into account large metropolises such as Atlanta and Miami that are outside of the top 10. Only New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia are cold-weather climes that have a population that put them into the most populated cities, and Philly, like Detroit before it, is falling fast and may not last at the top of the charts for more than another decade or so. What is it that attracts people to these warm climates?

For starters, the idea that you don’t have to brave cold winters, shovel snow off of walks and scrape the ice off of your windshield in the morning before heading to work or school. And as anyone who has ever spent time back east or in the upper Midwest in the summer can attest, the hot and humid summers there are no picnic either. The four seasons are often touted by people who still choose to live in such places as a reason for staying put, but as one who spent two years in Iowa, I can say that as nice as that aspect of life is, it’s also pretty overrated. The summers are hot and humid, the winters are just plain cold, the springs are full of rain, and the wind and crazy amounts of leaves in the fall are no bargain. You can’t beat the beauty of the changing of the colors to be sure, but I’m not much into doing yard work, and that doesn’t go over well in Iowa in the fall, when a couple weekends of laziness and watching football on TV can lead to a couple dozen trash bags full of leaves in your yard.

Why else do people move to the Sun Belt? I would imagine the laid back lifestyle has its appeal for many, not being tied to traditions and a certain social hierarchy that seems to be associated with older cities. A chance for a fresh start, to be able to make your own path free from that of your parents and grandparents holds a certain sway that appeals to our American sense of adventure and striking out on our own. The new slogan is probably more aptly, Go South Young Men and Women. Of course, the old folks have always been hip to the move south, kind of the human equivalent to birds flying south for the winter of their lives. Cost of living is also a plus, at least outside of the Golden State, you can move to Arizona, Texas, Georgia, or Florida and get a lot more value for you money in terms of a home and all the trappings of modern life. Newer communities also mean newer schools and neighborhoods, better shopping malls, more chain restaurants, and less decay and grime.

There are also some drawbacks, as with anything there are going to be tradeoffs. Let’s face it, the southeast has nasty humidity, the southwest has scorching summer heat, and Texas has the best of both worlds, especially Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city weighing in at over 2 million souls. Which brings me to the point of the article and the title of this column, the warm, or perhaps more accurately, sweltering runs that I take in these July mornings in the desert. Look, I am the first guy to complain about the heat of Phoenix from the middle of May through the middle of September, and sometimes well into October. Every summer I come up with a new fantasy place to live, past locales have included Flagstaff, which is up in the cool pines of northern Arizona, Bayfield, Wisconsin which is a little town I located once on a map that sits on the shores of Lake Superior in the northernmost reaches of the Badger state, and most recently La Plata, Argentina. La Plata is not too far from Buenos Aires, and being in the southern hemisphere would be the ideal place to spend a northern hemisphere summer. Other standbys include anywhere in the Sierras, Mammoth Lakes or June Lake would do just fine, because in fantasy summer home land housing prices and little things like making a living are not part of the equation. My wife and I will be driving up to Flagstaff this weekend to visit some friends who have a second home up there, and you can rest assured that the drive home will consist of us trying to figure out what in the world we can do to be able to afford a cabin up in the high country, a place where we could get away from the oppressive heat of the desert.

Back to reality however, finds me faced with the truth of the desert, which is that just as sure as the fall and winter will be beautiful with sunny mild days and cool and comfortable nights, the late spring and summer will be in a word, hot. It is just a fact of life, as immutable as the laws of physics and as unavoidable as political pandering in an election year. So you learn to deal with it, and even embrace the heat if you can, fantasy summer homes are one way, getting up and out early in the morning is another. Just as I made up my mind while living in Iowa that I wasn’t going to let the ridiculously cold winters stop me from running, and believe me, there were some early mornings where it was all I could do to get my legs moving and simply hope that I wouldn’t hit an icy patch of road where the early morning light was barely shining, I similarly have decided that the insanely hot summers of Arizona will not keep me indoors either.

Happiness comes from activity according to the wise ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. He believed in balance and moderation, in achieving what he called the golden mean, which is the middle point between extremes. For instance, running 10K’s as opposed to sitting on the couch with a bag of hot cheetoh’s on one hand, or running a marathon on the other. Or drinking a couple glasses of wine or bottles of beer at night instead of being a teetotaler or a complete drunken lush. The idea of happiness coming from activity really appeals to me as well, because when you stop and think about what makes you feel good, it usually comes from being around and communicating with people you enjoy, and from doing things that make you feel good. A long hike in the desert or a walk along the beach, which of course becomes even more enjoyable when done with someone you enjoy. Reading a good book, taking a nice hot bath, watching a good movie or TV show, going to a ballgame, eating a good meal, drinking that glass or two of wine or knocking back a cold one, getting a good sweat going at the gym, going for a long drive up to the mountains, going to a play or concert, writing a letter or email, or a column, and going on a nice warm run in the heat of the desert morning. These are the things that make life worthwhile, that make all the stuff we have to do make sense. The more activities one does that give them pleasure, and the more good people that one surrounds themselves with, the less reliant we are on material things and money to provide happiness. The more we find true happiness the more we want to share it with others, and that only leads to a better world and to a more meaningful and fulfilling existence during the short time we have on it.