I’ve gotten used to being pretty miserable during the summer at my old place with my window a/c doing what it could, but still living in a very hot house. I have had to figure out ways to stay cool when it’s unbearable inside. I have sat on ice packs while working, gotten extra sheets so I could keep a top sheet damp on top of me to try to cool down, and taken multiple cool showers to try to feel better. It was a lot better with my window a/c than it was before I had it, but that’s comparing being over 100 degrees inside my house to it being 85 degrees inside my house.
For most of this summer, LA has had a relatively mild summer. I haven’t been miserable while I have been home. I’m not overheating while working or sweating and feeling sick while I’m trying to sleep. I’m still getting used to having central a/c and making sure that my electric bill doesn’t get too expensive, but I think I probably use it less than many people would since I’m used to things being so warm inside. Plus, I’m much better insulated in my place now than I was at my old place. I don’t have the same issues with direct sunlight that I used to, and I don’t have all the walls exposed to heat. So while the summer was mild, I also thought it might be because of being in a much better home than I was in before.
But right now, LA is in a heat wave. It’s really hot and shockingly muggy here. When I’ve been leaving my place it’s almost a shock how different it feels. I’ve been so comfortable in my house and don’t always check the temperature before leaving. I haven’t had to leave too much lately to do things and I’ve been trying to rest at home as much as I can, so I am glad that my time in the heat is limited. And as soon as I get home, it’s seriously so nice and cool and I feel instantly more relaxed. I don’t leave my a/c on while I’m gone, but I can set things from my phone so when I’m heading home from a workout or running an errand, I can start cooling off my place before I arrive so it’s not as warm when I walk in the door.
I know how lucky I am to have a/c and to live somewhere that is comfortable. I haven’t had this luxury before. I had a/c at the last two places I lived, but neither of those places had efficient a/c units. At the place I lived before the house I was in for 12 years, we had a unit in the wall that only faced the kitchen and had no way of cooling down any other space. And it wasn’t that long ago that I was living at my old place so I very clearly remember how bad it was, especially in a heat wave. So I have put it out to my friends that if they need a place to cool down, they are welcome to come over here. Nobody has taken me up on that offer so far, but it’s an open invitation to my friends. I didn’t have many places I could go and cool down in heat waves before, and I don’t want anyone to feel as miserable as I used to during the summer.
I remember when my parents and I were looking at condos and one of the non-negotiable things for my parents was that my new place needed central a/c. I said that wasn’t a must-have for me and I would be ok with a window unit. But now that I’m living in my first place with central a/c, I’m feeling very spoiled and know that I won’t be able to go back. And I’m grateful that it was something my parents required for a new place because they were right that it is very worth it!
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