I moved to this dry, desert region of the country about six months ago now.
While I’ve enjoyed the change in scenery, I’m not fully acclimated. Outside of some unusual state laws, there’s also this relentless heat that comes with the territory. You would think that a climate as hot and dry as the desert would have adapted to this intense weather, right? Well, they have. Many homes and businesses in this area use air conditioning systems that provide a cool humidity to the air as it circulates in a home. This is known as evaporative cooling. I’m thankful that virtually every stop I make throughout the day is at a business with an evaporative cooling system, as that improves the indoor air quality significantly. Without that added humidity, the interior of a building in this area will still cool – but the air definitely won’t be comfortable to breathe in. My car is the only place that doesn’t have this evaporative cooling technology, so I have to simply make due with the dry air and bring a bottle of water with me into the car. So far, I still don’t really know what the winter weather is like in this area. I’ve been told that it can get a bit cooler around that time of year, but I shouldn’t expect a long break from the hot weather. Since I’m from the southeast, where it’s always very hot and humid, this reduced humidity is strangely preferable. At least it’s easier to add humidity than it is to take it away!