Two thoughts that cross my mind wherever we travel is "Why did people move here in the first place?" and/or "Why did they stay?" In the majority of cases the reasons are obvious--accessibility to the sea/river, tactical advantage, agricultural potential, availability of natural resources, beautiful scenery, pleasant climate etc. Only a handful of places are headscratchers.
The area where I grew up, Southeastern Manitoba is an extremely fertile agricultural area with hard working friendly people. Summers are fantastic. Conversely winters are long and harsh lasting from late October until mid April with temperatures dropping into the -30's C for weeks at a time. Growing up I took pride in knowing that it took a toughness to survive and even thrive in such a harsh climate. As I have grown older my views have changed. Over the Christmas break we visited friends and family for six days. Even though the temps were normal for that time of year (-16C) I had my fill of winter. (In comparison. Oslo school children were not allowed outside when the temps were the same as average/normal Winnipeg December temps.) My son and I had the discussion as to why people would stick around for the winter.
While I have a dislike for cold weather I hear the same comments and complaints about the heat and humidity of Texas. I guess I understand the people that enjoy the frigid temps because I enjoy and embrace the opposite extreme. I admire those who like cold weather but I myself am thankful that the biggest decision for what to wear in winter is which fleece or hoodie to put on and will it match my shorts.
